Determined Curse
by IluvfanficXD
Summary: What if there was an... unexpected reason to why you never hear Frisk talking? What if one little decision changed it all?A story of one betrayal causing a predetermined least, that's what people think. But don't worry, that is but a good premise for the adventure to come.(Warning for sensitive themes peppered between chapters.)
1. Prologue

I͜ ̯h͚a͕v͔e͜ ̗r̬u̬n̼ ̭t͍h̻r̺o͍u͈g̱h̻ ̟c͚o̱u͉n͈ţl̗e͎s̖s̮ ̺t̫e̘s̻t̰s̯ ̦a̜n̡d͔ ̧p̗e̜r̤m̡u̻t͉a̧t̯i̯o̬n͚s̜.̭ ̩E̹n͓d͙l̳e͔șs͚ ̻f̥a͙i̜l̜e͕d̨ ̧h͔y̼p̡o̲t͖h͚ȩt̜ḭc͚a͖l̡ ͖s̢i̡t̞ṵa̡t͚i͜o̙n͍ṣ.̤  
͇  
̱I̡d̪e̜a̝s͈ and frͅąg̝m͔eͅn͖t̳e̦d̢,̫ ͙m͎i̞n̜i̘s̤c̢u͜l̢e͎ ̥sͅp͚ḙc͍k̭s̟ ̞a͉l͙o͈n̻g͚ ̤t̥h̹e̻ ͙d̖e͚l̺i̩c͉a͖ţe̖ ̬f̻a̭b̢r̹i̯c̲ ͅo͎f̠ ͎ṟe̳a͓l͍i̞t̡y̬.̼  
͕  
͚Ţh̳a̧ṱ ̭i̲s͎ ͖what I am.̼  
͉  
̞T͍h͇i͖ș ͚p͕l̮a̠c͓e̝.̦.̤ ̗t͕h̗i̦s͖ ͜v̜o̲i̱d̥.͕ ̪M̩y͓ ̗f̠o̼r͎m̨ ̡c͎a̝n͕n̤o͈t͉ ̰ço͎n̤t̙įnͅu͓e̬ ̢t̝o̙ ͉b̹e͇ ͙s̲u̞s̗p̯e̺n̝d̦ẹd̨ ͍i͉n̙ ̣t̙h̖i̞s̬ ̤w͈i̳n̠d̲i͜n͈g̭ ͅb͎l̗a͜c̥k̘n͚e̲s͍s̹.̥ ͍E̹v̲e̠r͉y̙ ̠ḩọuͅr̢,̠ ̦ẹṿḛŗy̦ ̰m̯i̱n̝u̹t̺e̪,̲ ̝s̬ęc̣o͙n̰d͙ ̺a͙n͚d͜ ̥m̺i̧l͓l̡i͚sͅe̮c̢o̰n̖d͎ ͉t͜h̩ạt̹ ̫p̼a͈s̳s͚e̥s͈,̫ ̪I̢ ͅf̰e̮a̩r̘ ͈I̬ ͉l̻o̦s̱ḙ ͕m͎o̮r̠e̡ ̗o̩f̞ ̩w̦h̙o̤ ̹I̯ ̳a̙m̗.̲  
͙  
̘R̤ḁt̻h͚e̦r̬,̫ ̡w̜h͕o̜ ̧Į ̙w͇ąs̟.̫ ͕T̠h̫e̤ ̥s̤c̲i̢e̹n̨t̡i͙s̯t͇ ͎l̬o̞s͉t͜ ̥t̻o̫ ̦t̜h̟e̺ ̩c͓l͚u̪t͜c̝ẖe̙s͙ ̳o̥f̱ ̻t̟h̖eͅ ̘v̘o̹i̹d̬.͇  
͓  
̱I̯ ̯w̥o͕n̟d͎ḙr̦,͕ ̝w̧h̝a̭t̝ ͜i̖s͖ ͔l̫o̝s̭t͈ ̱i̪f̠ ̲y͚o̩u̡ ̠c̱a̗n̺n̪o͓t̢ ̺r̮ḙm̺e͍m̡b̖e͙r̡ ̲i̯t̨ ̧i͓n͕ ̼t̘h̰e̘ ͅf͎i̺r̹s̝t̯ ̪p̮l͖a̩c̠ḛ?̢  
̙  
̥I̯f̱ ͎I̺ ̳a̳m̳ ̙w̖h͉a̠t͇ ̞I̬ ̲h͚a̖v͜e̡,͜ ̥a̼n̮d͔ ̫w̮h̘a̯t͕ ͍I̡ ̻h͍a̱v̮eͅ ͍i͜s̙ ̻l͇o͇s̭t͉,̠ ̜t̠h͎e͙n̫ ͇w̖h͓o̯ ̜a̻m̹ ̹I͖?͎  
̬  
͇D͈a̤r̲k̠,̳ ͅd̩a̘r̟k̻e̦r͇,̩ ̪y̘e̻ț ̢d̦aͅrͅk͖e̫r̮.͚ ͎T̼h̥ḛ ̡d̪ạr͖ḵn̞e͜s̳s̱ ̲k̭ḛe̖p͇s̳ ͚o͍n͓ ̤g̼r̦o͖w̖i̮n̪g̣.̤ ̖T̟h̹e͈ ̲s̲h͈a͓ḑo͖w͇s͈ ͓c̰u̖t͙t̖i̮n͇g̦ ̧d͕e͙ȩp̞e̪r̤.ͅ ̥E̞v͔e̲ṉ ̢t̗h͚e͍ ͍f̧a̬i̝n̞t̨ẹs̺t̟ ̧h̲i̝n̗t͓s̗ ̧o̳f̞ ̡m̥y͇s̬e̩l̦f̨ ̼a͍r̼e̮ ͙a̯ḇs͉e̱n̼t̗ ̞f̪r̡o̻m̠ ̝e̮v̢ęr̩y͔t̝h̖i͓n͎g̼ ̡t͜ḩa͎t̺ ̲i̘s̫.̜ ͔F͇r͈i̢e̡n̺d͕s̮.̠ ̭F̯a̺m͙ḭl͙y̜.̥ ͅAͅl̗l̰ ͉g̻o͔n͍e͎.̹ ͍ ̞  
͔  
͓H͈m̫m͈.͍.̰.̩ ̢T͇h̘i̳s͙.̖.̣.͈ ͅ'̨r̼e͍a̫l̯i͚t͚y̹'͎.͚ ̹T̮h̢i̪ș ̙i̜d̤e̠a͈.̼ ̙T̩h͓i̘s͓ ̢iͅt̖ȩr͖a͇ṯḭo͖n̲ ͈u͇p̼o͖n̫ ͉t̹ẖe͓ ̮w̢o̦r̙l̪d̖.̟  
͜  
͜I̩ ̲a̡m̜ ̱m͈a̭d̳e̙ ̖t͎ǫ ͕n͈e͚v̱e̲r͙ ̝b̳e̩.̤  
̼  
̲T̲h̹e͇r̫e̼ ̹a̖r̦e͔ ̜t̡e̜a̼r̙s͖ ̟i̘n̜ ̹t̙h̰i͔s̭ ̹o̺d̫ḍ ̝t̟i̺m͇e̱.͔ ̗P̠e̠r̭h͎a̻p̗s͍ ̢I̖ ̲c̪a̢n̦ ̥c̭h͚a̦n͇g̤e͎ ͎s̥o̻m̙e͓t̼h̟i̱ņg̜ ̡a͙f͕ṱe̖r̙ ͇a͜l̻ḻ.̼  
̲  
̖.̝.͙.͜H̲o̙p̹e̱f͎u̥l̮l̰y̲,̗ ̧s̳o̤m͓e̖o̳n͍e͜ ̧w̯i̤l̩l̮ ͓b̤e̪ ̳d̜e͈t̫e̘r̗m̮i̮n̠e̫d͙ ͅe̤n̞o͔u̠g͔h͓ ͅt̥o̖ ̳t̗a̫ķẹ ͉m͎ḛ ̳h̘o͎m̩ę.̧  
͕…̭

S͉o̳ ͔p̮ḻe͓a͎s̲e̥.̙ 

**̲͉̮̬̬͚͓D̢̼̙̮͔̳̘̗̟̙̟̦ͅǫ̤͈̖̱̬̥͉̭̙̮̪ͅn̢̢͇̜̙̘̝̣̘̗̱̥͔'̧̨̤̪̘̤̞̳̩̠͓̭̟t̢̤̬͙̖̠̙̲͖̫̤̫͔ ̢̘̲͕̠̹̦͍̲̞̯̲͜f͕̺̪̰͎͔͙͓̼͕̙̳͚o̭̤̙̬̥̩͇̻̬͎̩̫ͅr̘̠̘̭͙̮͎̟͎̯̯̪͜g̨̯̲̲̲̦̥̪̯̣͕̜͙ȩ̨̩̼̳͙̜̜̬̞̬̘̣ţ̡̨͓̙̦͙̜̜̜͕͓̙ ̙̞̹̘̗̙͔̥̯͚͈̠̟m̧͓̝̤͕̥̟̳̟̻̹͍ͅę̞͇̗̭̫͕̺͈̠̱͈̤ ̨̝̱̮̦̤t͇̟̰͚͇͎o̧̢͍͎͎̰o̱͉͇͓̮͈.̢̢̢̩̯̰̪̝͚̪̹̭̳**

* * *

Long ago, there lived two races: Monsters and Humans.

The many years of growing tension between the two different races snapped and war broke out between them. The two endlessly clashing forces finally struck in a series of battle; all of them in rapid succession. Magic against magic, weapon against bullet. Monsters and humans alike falling dead by the feet of their peers but forced to go on.

7 lead mages had started planning; they couldn't win like this. They knew they couldn't. It was a matter of time before the raging monsters all ended things once and for all: a strange force had guided their swings. A different glint in their eyes could be seen even from several feet away. The monsters... they were growing **Determined.**

Panicked and unsure, they prepared a last resort for the monsters by baiting the summit of Mt. Ebbot. While the uphill battle was strenuous and near-impossible, the humans fought off impressively so. Bodies lined the mountain in heaps and some could even say that the heavens heard their cries, because the battle was already over.

The spell had taken effect. All of those with dust for blood had been dragged into the depths of the mountain below.

The monsters, enraged and confused were stuck in the mountain and scrambling to get out. Their screams and desperate cries heard by every soldier outside of the mountain as the mages had started sealing them into the accursed mountain. However, one of the 7 mages, with a soul of DETERMINATION had revolted against the others, fighting them off as hard as they could. Soldiers were felled and a red cloak was left more red than before.

He fought off the others and tried to free the monsters, but he had decided to interfere far too late. The spell fully casted and the barrier in place, he sank to his knees and looked down at the abyss below. It was over.

The other six, PERSERVERANCE, BRAVERY, JUSTICE, INTEGRITY, KINDNESS, and PATIENCE, looked at the defeated caster in disgust. They hated this; how his face remained a stark neutral whilst struggling to break free from their grasp. He was a very respectable mage once before, a trait that the others could seldom see and often feared. How could they?! The person who they had let into their council, gave them trust..! The one who they had opened their doors to! the one who said he'd give his word!

 **And yet he had the gall to throw that all into the ether!** Those people... no... those demons. They could've brought all of the people to ruin!

Without even being able to activate their soul trait, it was obvious that they were going to lose... and yet even though there was an impending punishment he was still filled with DETERMINATION. All of that reputation was gone in an instant. The prestige in which they held him, the glory and the importance; all of it destroyed with the bitter taste of treason.

All around were signs of war, broken trees and scattered plant matter. Dust flying in the air, and blood stains ingrained into the dirt. They dragged their prisoner to the battered cells and restrained his magic. All of the soldiers too tired to continue fighting, and the people too shaken for even one more drop of blood to be spilt.

The mages had thought of a suitable punishment. This was treason, but there was only a handful of those with souls of determination left. To kill them off would be a waste of potential; especially without knowing how useful they could be. Perhaps they could still be useful, if used correctly.

"He was easily going to kill us all. We wouldn't have expected a thing either, and that is what I feared... Behind that neutral guise is the face of a Judas!" Said the Orange mage.

"He has shown us what lies in his SOUL. He has shown us how much he cares for the people!" Said the yellow mage. "We believed him so easily; he was going to lead us straight into the beasts, should Patience not have been there!"

"if we had lost because of him, more of our people's blood would have been stains on the ground below. We cannot let this pass! We can not let him go without punishment!" Said the Purple mage.

"I don't think that those restraints would hold him down longer. What do you propose?" said Yellow.

"A curse on his voice could work, then he would never be able to cast spells. If it were big enough, it could cover all those demons and give them what they deserve. Remember; we still need them. They could be useful in repairing our capital." said the Orange mage.

"Hark! We just created the barrier, and if we get too tired the spell might disperse!" Said the teal mage.

"We would need to connect the two somehow. Both would last until eternity, and they would be stronger than ever. " Said the Leader. The piercing sunset started dimming into a dark, star-filled night while they worked on the new spell until daybreak. The night after the war was so quiet it could even be considered eerie; death was still looming around and ready to strike at any moment and everybody was aware of it. The air smelled like death, the fresh scent of trees replaced with burnt ozone and blood. Whatever plants remained were covered in dust.

Many civilians went to see the outcome of their damaged lands. Farms all destroyed, livestock diminished, flora and fauna alike gone almost leader garbed in royal blue, Irwin Cobalt, sent his speech to the people awaiting consolation.

"It is settled! We have trusted these demons long enough! They will never shout another spell again!" Said the Irwin, being met with cheers from the war-torn crowd.

That is how everything started. All of those born with souls of determination were now considered "red demons" and were robbed of speech. Children fled at the sight of them, while people glared and even attacked them. The curse was passed down on all of those with determination, generation after generation. Slowly, the days of mages and monsters and magic faded away as well as the knowledge of the existence of any of them.

The curse? not so much. Disorder and conflict followed the war: survivors of the battle and civilians suffered from the tolls of war and many wished to die after losing their loved ones. The 6 mages had decided to erase those memories; they were simply too dangerous. A town filled with people who could not be contained, all screaming and wanting their old lives back; they had no choice.

The deeply stricken trauma and the hurt inside remained. The magic in their SOULs all but faded.

Although it took many generations of effort, the 'red demons' were re-integrated into society.

But that didn't stop the pain.

The traitor had a child as well, their name was...

Present day- Mount Ebbot- 20XX


	2. A new world In the old home

Hello, how are you? I am feeling great! this is the first story I have ever published here, and I am happy to share it with all of you. Please enjoy this story and its many chapters to come! One thing you should know though, is that I am very busy with school and other things, and though I will not be able to post on a fixated schedule, I will try to post when I can! Lastly, Frisk is a girl in this story, because I have always viewed them as one. Toby made Frisk nonbinary for the players of the game for that reason. This is also on Ao3! Check it out if you prefer that format. :3 /works/14476167?view_full_work=true

" means words spoken

' means signing

' _italics mean thoughts_

* * *

Mt. Ebbot.. 2XXX

"They say those who come to the mountain never come back." Said Joey.

a trio of kids went along the rough mountain's trail, with a very unfortunate one dragged along with them.

"I heard that you can hear screaming through some of the summit's cave walls." said Nala.

"Oh yeah?" said Dewey, "Well I heard that there are monsters inside the mountain. My great-grandpa told me."

"Pff, yeah right, your grandpa is an old fart. everyone knows that monsters don't exist." Said Joey, chuckling at Dewey's remark.

"But if there ARE any monsters, ol' FRISKY will be able to find out." said Nala. "We're here." Said she, as they all gaped at the enormous maw of the mountain's summit.

Frisk looked at the hole in trepidation, cold sweat running down her forehead. 'I'll die here' she thought.

"Don't Worry frisky, just holler if you need anything!" said Joey, snickering at his crude remark.

'N-no! don't make me go down there! I dont like this plan anymore!' said she, trying to sign a futile objection.

"Damn, is she really trying to stop this when we walked all the way here? Don't worry, Nala can help you with that, Frisk." said Dewey.

Little did Frisk know, that Nala was already behind her, as she pushed her down the accursed mountain.

Nala was surprised. "Jeez, she isn't even screaming! I thought she was faking being mute. whadda'ya know." The three bullies all walked down mildly shaken at what they had done, without knowing the proper consequences of what they had committed.

Not knowing that there was a feeble gargle of sound accompanied by a hacking cough coming from the rapidly-descending girl.

Chapter 1- A New world in the old home.

You woke up, wondering where you were. Looking up, you see the hole that caused you to end up in this mess. Darn it. Thankfully, you were alive! A lot scuffed up, but alive! Praise the lord!

After laying on the ground for a bit in shock, you sat up. Your throat was unbelievably sore from coughing, and there were a few blood stains on your shirt.

Anyone would scream in that situation, and yours just happened to be messy, and rather painful.

 _'No biggie_ ' you thought sarcastically.

You looked around, looking at your scuffed clothes, and what saved your fall. They looked like.. Buttercups? But.. they looked so pampered.. well, until you squashed them. You always knew you had to lose some weight.

' _Sorry.. thanks for saving me babies_ ' you thought.

You doubt that any water could go through, because the ground was pretty dry, and it rained yesterday.

 _'And... It's not like anyone could have watered it.. right?'_

The walls around the place were rather rough, and too steep to climb. But, you had to go somehow. So, you got up, shook off the dirt from your clothes, and walked out of the oddly-pampered wild(?) garden. Pacing in a circle, (around the flowers, mind you.) you wondered when and how you could get out. The kids would go into juvenile court, but nobody would want to incriminate "poor, Innocent children" like them.

You already missed your home, your grandma, your room, books, and drawing materials.

A long sigh escaped your lips, and you decided to go.

You remembered what your grandma told you before. (this is sign language, remember. XD) 'someday.. you will be drawn to this mountain. Everyone in the family has. But you will be different. I believe you can change the world Frisk. Just stay determined.'

Right...

You had to stay determined.

You had to go, if you wanted to see your home, your grandma, and your cat Rufus. Don't forget Rufus.

After a while, you decided to move forward. There was a small cave that continued through. For some reason, the floor didn't look natural. It was placed with cobblestone bricks. ' _Nah.. maybe the setting is unnerving me is all_.' Until.. You saw an enormous door. It loomed over you threateningly, with a strange symbol on its front. It was covered in vines, and the door looked worn, but it didn't mean that it was any less scary to you.

After staring at it in disbelief, you eventually checked if the door was open, and thankfully, it was. It creaked horribly though. As you walked through, you noticed that the room was very dark, and only the center of the room was illuminated. Strangely enough, there was… Grass?

"Howdy!"

You shot up immediately from your inquiry. A flower suddenly appeared before you. But not just any flower. A smiling. TALKING. FLOWER. It looked at you with a plastic smile, and numb eyes. That is the look that you would get from kids who don't want to play with you. You didn't trust this overly-enthusiastic hunk of plant matter. You backed away a good meter and a half or so, and you could see it trying to keep its face happy as its face twitched slightly.

"I'm FLOWEY. FLOWEY the FLOWER! Hmmm..."

The flower had a small change of face, but it was clear. It looked inhuman, and not in the obvious way. And who would name a plant Flowey? And you thought "Frisk" was bad.

"You're new to the UNDERGROUND arent'cha?"

You gave the flower a brief nod. So, this was what this place was. Gosh, what did you get yourself into? 'might as well play along,' You thought, as you put on a small grin and "hopeful" eyes. You didn't need that face for anything other than getting more desserts, but this will work too.

"Golly, you must be so confused. Someone ought to teach you how things work around here! I guess little old me will have to do. Ready? Here we go!"

Suddenly, you felt a brief tug at your heart. You winced a little, but it wasn't necessarily painful. Perhaps it was just a weird thing here? You honestly did not know what anything was anymore. After the weird tug stopped, a small, red heart the size of your fist appeared before you. It was floating right above your chest.

You tried to touch it, but your hand phased through. You weren't surprised, after the small things you have seen, who knew what else there was inside the woodwork? Speaking of woodwork, you also saw a weird box that looked like a tennis court painted around you. When you tried moving out of it, your weird floaty heart would stop you there. Perhaps it was connected to you?

"See that heart? That is your SOUL, the very culmination of your being! Your SOUL starts off weak, but can grow strong if you gain a lot of LV. What's LV stand for? Why, LOVE, of course! You want some LOVE, don't you? Don't worry, I'll share some with you!"

The way he said 'LOVE' was really sketchy, but so was everything in this godforsaken hole. Five pellets materialized above the smiling flower's head, as he explained some things about them. But seriously, "Friendliness pellets"? who was he kidding?

Eventually, he told you to get many, and though you felt intimidated, you decided to walk out of the way. The bullets whooshed past you, leaving the air around them feel charged, and smelling like moss. You weren't going to follow him little game any longer. A plastic smile means no good, and if he were doing something bad, you weren't going to find out.

Flowey's smile faltered a bit, and his "cheerful" façade turned into annoyance. "Hey, Buddy. You missed them. Let's try again!"

You dodged again, this time, the 'friendliness pellets' were faster, and felt deadlier.

"Are you KIDDING me? RUN. INTO. THE BULLE—er.. Friendliness pellets!"

Bullets? HELL NAW. Flowey caught his mistake too late, and you evaded the deadly stars once more. But what happened next, you did not expect in the slightest. Flowey's face morphed into one you only saw in a horror movie. (One that you weren't supposed to watch and regretted watching it. That was your most sleepless night.)

His voice was scratchy and rough.

"You know what's going on here, don't you?

"You just wanted to see me SUFFER"

"DIE"

Flowey then surrounded you with bullets, the air smelled sickening, and you were filled with FEAR, and CLAUSTROPHOBIA. (No, not glitchtale. And no, she doesn't fear small places too much, but being too cramped and feeling danger can give anyone some temporary fear of anything)

You were at the verge of screaming, but your throat ached too much. Instead you curled up into a ball, which was very possible, chubby you.

And shut your eyes, thinking that it was a bad dream. You could hear the bullets coming closer, the smell of damp earth becoming intoxicating, and hearing flowey cackle sadistically wasn't helping you. You wished you never agreed to go to this accursed mountain with Nala, Dewey, and Joey.

You did this stupid dare for candy. If you saw your past self, you would beat those Milky ways out of her now. The bullets were tearing your shirt, and coming closer to your skin...!

Until, you felt a flash of heat coming from where flowey was, accompanied by an ungodly shriek.

huh?

You opened your eyes to see yet another monster, smiling at you.

"Greetings, I am Toriel, caretaker of the ruins."

You knew that life would be different now..

You felt It wouldn't be the same.

You knew this was a Breakthrough in human history an' everything...

but..

Is it bad that all you want are some skittles?

 **Hey guys, its me again! This will be a particularly long chapter, So I have decided to split it in two. See you for the next chapter! Be prepared for "Meet a mom, miss another" Part 2. Let me tell ya, for some weird reason, this chapter glitched out a lot! So I had uploaded it through the other method. Thank god it worked too! -u-'**


	3. Meet a mom, miss another

**Hello guys! Sorry for the long wait. I have a lot of homework, and this was a pretty long chapter! Im still figuring out what to do with the plot, and I'm trying to make it as different as I can, while making it have sense canonically. Hope you are enjoying it! And please Rate and review! Reading reviews warm my heart to the "Core" Huehuehue. I'm funnies.**

 **Meet a mom, Miss another- part 2**

* * *

Toriel was HUGE, and that was no understatement. She must have been, what, 6.5? That is enormous compared to your measly 4'5. and that wasn't even including her extra 4-inch horns that lied above her head nonchalantly.

She also had a long purple robe with the same symbol you saw on the door. You weren't gonna lie, she was pretty terrifying, even though she looked like a floppy-eared, smiling, fluffy, version of Rufus.

Thinking of that though, you felt a bit eased.

She was still smiling at you, fangs poking out of her upper lip as she did so. You just did the one thing you thought was appropriate at the moment.

Signing a shaky 'Hi' to Toriel.

You waved a bit too. This seemed to make her happy, since her smile widened. Thankfully she knew sign language, because if not, you were screwed. Unfortunately, you saw just how big those fangs of hers were. You shuddered at the thought that these creatures were like the myths.

You didn't wanna be polar-goaty-thing food. Toriel seemed to notice though, and her smile dropped. She looked at you questioningly.

"is something wrong my child?"

Taking a brief gulp, and standing up for a running start, you signed a quick 'You aren't..' you hesitated.. but continued 'going to eat me, are you?'

Toriel blinked at you and looked from your hands to you. She looked at you, dumbfounded, as if asking her if her fur was white. This spun into a moment of awkward silence.

'toriel?'

First came a snicker.

Then a snort,

Then full blown laughter, accompanied by.. bleats?

You were prepared to go, already backing away, until her laughter died down. "eheh.. sorry my child, ah. That was quite funny."

'why?'

"oh, well, I guess you do not know how it is around here… do you? Down in the underground, monsters do not eat humans, dear."

'oh.'

'OH.'  
Well, out of all the things you could have done, you had just been racist to another species. She looked behind you and saw the crushed flowerbed, and you saw her look at them with disappointment.

'I'm really, REALLY sorry toriel.. I landed on the flowers.' You emphasized "Really" by making the signing wider and exaggerated.

"It is quite alright dear, all it needs is some love and care from now on." She looked at you with a collected smile, but you could tell she was sad.

She was also staring at the red blotches on your shirt, which you promptly covered up.

"that horrible flower did a number on you, didn't he?" said she, looking guilty.

"I shouldn't have strayed off schedule to talk…" She mumbled something else to herself, but you couldn't hear it.

"Well my child, come with me. I shall guide you through the catacombs." She kneeled down and extended her paw towards you. It was like a hand, only it had pads on the "fingers" and some white fur sticking out of her palm.

What scared you most though, was that she also had claws. They looked more like pointy nubs though, but they could still hurt. You took your hand away, and she looked worried yet again.

"Oh dear. Sorry my child. I wasn't expecting humans today, and I didn't file my claws. I don't mean any harm."

Though you were hesitant, you didn't want to hurt her feelings, so you took her hand. She smiled faintly and held it gently as she stood up and led you through the ruins. Her paw was soft, and the pads felt silky. Her fur was well managed as well.

The small nubs barely grazed your hand. It felt like how crocodiles hold their babies; very gentle. After a bit of walking, she led you into a room. In front of you were some stairs, as well as a leaf pile in the middle. They were crimson in color and shone faintly. There was also a small shining star.  
You walked over to the shining object, when you found something very strange in front of you.

*The shadow of the ruins loom above, filling you with DETERMINATION*

You stumbled and fell on your bum. You looked around, but Toriel was on the top of the stairs. A menu appeared in front of you as well.

FRISK- LV 1 3:45  
RUINS- ENTRANCE

Scared, you ran up the stairs, leaving the menu, which faded out of view, before joining Toriel once more.

"When you are going through the underground, you will encounter various puzzles. This is a long-standing tradition, and it would be best to respect it by solving them."

There were some weird blocks that Toriel had stepped on as well. You decided to flip a switch that was obviously labeled, and from there you proceeded to the next hall.

You tugged on the hem of her robe before signing her a question  
'What is the tradition from?'

She looked happy that you asked her about history, and said, "Well, these were originally to help young monsters get stronger mentally and physically. We are quite weaker than humans, so a healthy mind is a healthy body in our case. Our hearts are strongly connected to our physical state as well-"

You tuned her out after she started talking about how monsters were born. You did not want to hear it—especially after Nala was ranting it to the world.

"Now,"

Toriel broke your train of thought, so you focused on her. You had gone into another room.  
"Down here you will meet some monsters in the underground, but you can get out of a dispute with conversation! Practice talking to the dummy."

She wasn't serious, was she? Didn't she know that you couldn't speak? Oh well. You touched the still unmoving dummy, and immediately, your SOUL came out of your body. The world turned black and white, as it did with Flowey, and the same little court appeared as well.

[*The dummy stands around aimlessly.]  
There was a dialogue box in front of you as well. For some reason it had a voice. It must be normal, you supposed.

You then decided to press the act button. In it were your options.

(̟̹͙T̙a̫̘̱̞̘̖̭͝ḷ̤͕͉k̵̦̦)̷͚̱̹ (Sign) (Insult)

The talk button was glitched out, for obvious reasons. So, you decided to press the sign button.

'Hello Mr. Dummy. How are you today?'

Toriel looked like you won the Olympics. The box changed too.

[*YOU WON! You gained 0 xp and 0 Gold.]

"See? Now wasn't that so hard?" She had a relieved smile on her features. She reminded you of grandma. You really needed to head back.. What if something happened to her?

You then reached a room full of water, with a broad bridge. The only catch?

IT.

WAS.

FULL.

OF.

SPIKES.

Looks like you were not going to meet grandma again. If only you had a few potato chips for your last meal.

"There is a trick to crossing this, but.. with you being such a new arrival, I suppose I will help you cross. Please hold my hand."

You complied, and then she was taking you THROUGH THE SPIKES. You felt her grip tighten and decided to trust her as you crossed your imminent.. doom?

The spikes went down as you crossed, while others stayed intact. Hm.

"Thank you for trusting me my child. You can count on me whenever you wish. It is important that you learn these puzzles for your stay here.

Huh? You weren't going to stay here long though. You didn't really like how she worded it.

You both went through and continued until you reached a large hall.

"Now my child, can you do me a favor?"

You nodded, but you were still wondering what she wanted.

"Please walk to the end of that hall. Nothing will happen to you, I promise."

That's it? Well then. You decided to strut your stuff like those models on tv. You probably looked weird doing so but heck, you enjoyed it. You pat your tummy to act

like a bongo as you walked, making your own theme music.

You got to the end of the hall, and you found that one pillar was giggling. Then you saw Toriel coming out of the pillar with an amused look in her features.

"Well done my child.. hehe. I did this to see your skills at Independence, and you have passed! With extra credit for your little performance of course. I will need to go run some errands, and you will have to stay here for the meantime."

'k'

"Oh! I almost forgot! Here is a phone, so you can call me anytime something comes up."

The phone was an ancient hunk of plastic, but you thanked her anyway. It had one button for everything, as well as a cursor pad. The Atari was more sophisticated.

Wasn't she thinking about how you got here? You came alone. Oh well. You complied, sitting next to the pillar. When she left, you waited, and waited, until boredom got the best of you, so you called her.

"Hello, this is Toriel"

How were you going to communicate again? You feel like this plan wasn't really thought through, but you hoped that she understood Morse code. You decided to try saying an awkward 'Just wanted to say hi.'

"Hello! is this enough my child?" and she hung up.

After a while, you decided to call her again.

"Yes, this is Toriel"

'You are one hot goat momma.'

"What?! Are you f-flirting? Oh my. And you even called me mom with that too." She hung up once more.

You were amused, but then again, you were still incredibly bored. After 15 minutes, and a few calls involving a very mischievous dog and an upset Toriel, you decided to move onward. But, strangely enough, you went out into the ruins, and you immediately got a call from her.

"Hello? You haven't gone outside, have you?"

You could feel your regrets chilling your spine already.

"I just wanted to ask, which do you prefer, Cinnamon or Butterscotch?"

You honestly liked both, but you shuddered at the thought of that cinnamon challenge you did. Thankfully you calmed down enough for the curse to not recognize your coughs, because if that happened you would have been a goner.

You liked butterscotch candies, since your grandma always has a few. You would take a few whenever you were stressed, though grandma would scold you for eating too many at once.

"Hello?"

Oh, right! You had left her hanging there.

'Butterscotch'

"Thank you for your feedback! But, you do not entirely dislike cinnamon, do you? Would you turn up your nose if you found it on your plate?"

Hm. Well not exactly, you suppose.

'no'

"Oh good! You might be wondering why all the questions.. hehe. It's a surprise!"

Oh goodie.

* * *

 **Hope you enjoyed guys! Please rate and review, and have a wonderful day! :D Please rate, review, and remember, you don't need an account to do a review.**


	4. Meet a mom, Miss another- Part 2

**Hello guys! I'm still figuring out what to do with the plot, and I'm trying to make it as different as I can, while making it have sense canonically. Hope you are enjoying it! And please Rate and review! Reading reviews warm my heart to the "Core" Huehuehue. I'm funnies. (Edited Toriel's POV, made it first person.**

 **Meet a mom, Miss another- part 2**

An old woman living alone, despite popular belief, is not exactly completely chipper. I was sitting on my armchair this morning, deep in thought. My mind was a flurry of worries, memories, and life decisions that I had made. I couldn't stop thinking about the past though. I have never been good at blocking any sentiment.

If I could, maybe things would be better.

'But no. Good ol' Toriel is so transparent that as soon as she gets angry, its sweltering hot in any room.'

I remember when we were trapped, too. He was so angry that day, nobody could stand next to him without being baked. But then only 10 years later, we were calm, then they came, and left so fast.

I went to the ruins after. Was it such a good choice though?

I never really enjoyed checking the ruins for humans. It reminded me of all of the humans- -mere **children** , that I had failed in all the years after I had left the thro-

No.

Not again.

'I'm going to think positive today.' I thought.

I had decided to talk to the man behind the door, it was around our meeting time, and a few jokes could help clear my mind of unpleasant memories, at least for a bit.

My mystery friend had been cheerful as always, talking in a laid-back way that could relax anyone even in the tensest of moments.

Together, we both talked for hours, not minding if either of us continued with the same conversation topic, and when there was nothing more to talk about, we would tell jokes.

Albeit being very immature, puns and small wordplay gags were very calming to the heart, and to any troubled mind.

It was more than 50 years ago when I met him.

The third child had left. By this point I had decided to stop the children at all costs, and my resolve had made me quite depressed. By this time, I had even believed that I became like my pitiful Ex-Husband.

I really had nothing to do. The third child was so truthful. She told her reasons so calmly, without a lie in any word. When she had promised she would stay alive, I believed her. I wanted to believe her so badly.

A week later I heard the monsters rejoicing with the new, navy blue soul they had obtained.

 **That was the first lie she had ever told me, and the last.**

I felt sick. So, I walked down to the basement that day, and sat down on the door, feeling the slight tingle of a cold breeze wafting through the door.

Until, I heard a sound. Two knocks on the door snapped me out of that endless cacophony that only a delirious old lady could think of.

But he, whoever he was, he made me feel like I was 40 again. And that's what started it all until now.

I smiled fondly at the thought.

Now that I thought about it, it was around the time to check if humans had fallen.

"You okay lady?"

"Hm? Oh, pardon friend, I was quite deep in thought. I should be going now, to do…"

I shouldn't tell him. He was a sentry after all. If I told him that I was going to check for humans, he would want to go too. Even the kindest of monsters would exchange their values for freedom.

 **'You knew that by experience though, didn't you?'**

"To do what?"

He had a strange edge to his voice. It was unlike him, and somehow, deep down, it unnerved me in a way.

"I will go attend to a pie I have been baking. I have been baking one to give to the spiders as a gift for their services." I said, trying to keep my tone level and calm.

"Please don't tell them though, it's a surprise!" I hoped this was convincing.

"Oh, okay lady. But one more thing."

"Hm?"

"Knock knock" said he, as he lightly tapped the door.

"Ooh, haha. Who is there?"

"Pie"

"Pie who?" this was one hadn't heard that one before.

"Goodpie lady. Have a nice day. And you 'Crust' tell me your recipe, it would warm my 'tart'."

I chuckled a little, enjoying the small antics my friend would do.

"Goodpie, friend. That was 'berry' clever of you! Hehe."

I stood up from the floor and brushed off my robes, then walked through the hall.

I started letting her mind wander, thinking as I went up the stairs to your house.

I highly doubted that another human would fall today, of all days. It had been raining the night before. I recalled one of the children mentioning that it was dangerous to climb the mountain when it was, and very few would do so.

I remembered the night after the war. The rain, which I had disliked because of its disadvantages to my fur, was suddenly a blessing that I had lost. It was so far away, and even standing in the field of dirt in the middle of the hole, the rain would never touch me.

I recalled seeing the droplets bouncing off of the barrier's maw. It was quite depressing, to say the least.

I decided to make use of the small patch of dirt, planting seeds of my favorite flower at the time. Giving it water infused with a hint of magic, the buttercups bloomed and lived up to now.

 **'They used to be your favorite flowers.'**

The poor flowers were like all of the monsters in the underground. Just looking up to see not even the rain cannot reach them.

I felt rather committed to helping the children who fell, and everyone in the ruins. Although I would keep the monsters in check, I cared about them down to the last Moldsmal.

Even the flowers. I watered them every day it rained and then I would use my magic to provide a light for them. The magic from my fires gave them vitality, and their strength would in turn protect the humans who fell.

'Magic really was a miracle. A shame that humans have forgotten of it.' I thought, as I started going past the dummy's room.

 **'Maybe that's why they died so easily out there'** Thought another part of me.

All of the children who fell were so naïve.. they ignored my pleas! They were the ones at fault. He was the one at fault.

 **But then why did I feel so much GUILT?**

I shook off those thoughts, when I heard a strange sound coming from the next room. It sounded like a weird buzzing, and I could feel the charging of the air, as if an attack was being prepa—

 **NO.**

It was that horrible flower again! I was going to stop it this time! It would not hurt another living being as long as you could help it!

Running over, and slightly stumbling due to my long dress (which I picked up by now)

I rushed over to the noise. Surely enough, that demonic buttercup was attacking a child! Unconsciously, I let my anger influence my magic as I hurled a fireball at it. It was black at the core and crackled terribly.

The flower was tossed away shrieking like a banshee, and it looked at me with a spiteful glare before entering the ground.

The poor child was all scuffed up. It had some stains on its collar, and I, though I thought of myself to be at least a bit pacifistic, I would kill that flower the next time you saw even a petal from his lowly head.

The child was looking at me with a bit of fear now. I felt I should say something. I took a deep breath and relaxed myself.

The temperature lowered a bit.

"What a horrible creature, attacking such a poor, innocent youth. My name is Toriel, I am the caretaker of the ruins."

* * *

After your call with Toriel, you decided to proceed. There were many patches of leaves, which were the same you saw in the first hall. One of the leaf piles, however, had that same star!

You walked over to it, almost reaching the leaves the star stat on.

You barely went a few steps into the room, when a strange Frog leapt into your path.

It scared you to say the least.

Okay, it terrified you. Letting out a sharp breath, adrenaline wafted through your veins as you promptly rushed a meter away. The 'tennis court' didn't let you go further. Drat.

You took a deep breath and decided to look at the frog to get a better look.

It was a dulled green, with a black tummy. When you got a better look at it, you noticed that it was very bumpy, like a toad, yet slimy looking. Plus, it had a face on its belly.

You felt uncomfortable seeing it in more high-definition, and decided to stop examining it from afar.

Remembering Toriel's words of advice, you decided to go and sign to it.

'You look lovely today.'

*The Froggit doesn't understand what you are saying, but is flattered anyway.*

Well darn. At least you knew its name now though. Weird though, instead of a text box, it was a voice this time.

It was "Froggit's" turn this time, and it started shooting flies out of its tum-face. (you liked that new word. It was catchy.)

This time, you weren't going to be taken for a chump! You dodged the flies, though quite a few hit you.

*You are filled with disgust. (and a great need of hand sanitizer.) *

Ha ha. Very funny audible Dialogue box.

You pressed the sign button again, and this time, you were scolding the Froggit for attacking you. You waved your pointer finger at it and used that same scolding pose that you saw in cartoons.

*The Froggit seems to have understood. It no longer wishes to fight.*

Finally, you pressed the spare button.

'You shouldn't do that! It is not polite.'

The Froggit looked down.

"riiibeht." Even its tummy-face was crying.

Feeling bad, you decided to give it a few pats on the head.

It seemed to have cheered up a bit, which made you happy.

But now you are REALLY in need of hand sanitizer.

You walked away from the Froggit, who hopped out of sight, while you walked over to the star at last.

FRISK- LV 1 4:15

RUINS

Well, you weren't in the entrance anymore. Hopefully you could get home soon then.

* * *

You saw a door to your left, so you decided to go through before proceeding through the hall.

In this room, there was obviously a designer behind it.

It looked like a fairytale, a pillar in the middle, surrounded by leaves, with two pools of water beside it. Water was flowing through a few cracks in the brick, which was covered in vines.

If this was in the sun, with birds and flowers, your grandma would love it.

You felt a pang hit your heart. You had to go.

But, you could wait a bit to see more of the room, right?

You got closer to the pillar, which had a bowl on top of it. The bowl was full of candies.

Future-you was going to regret this, since you were probably going to pig-out on it later, but you took a handful.

*You took a handful of candy. You feel terrible*

How did you hear that? You thought this was only in battles. Your curiosity took the better of you and you took another handful.

*You took another handful of candy. You feel disgusted by yourself. *

You did feel bad, but this was kind of pushing it.

You took one more handful, and accidentally knocked over the pillar, breaking it in half.

The place didn't feel as magical.

*You broke the aura of the room, and you took all of the candy. You feel like the scum of the earth.*

And this time you felt like it too. The voice sounded peeved.

You were going to leave the room, but you couldn't just leave it that way! Rolling up your sweater sleeves, you went to the pillar and stacked the broken half back on. You took a few leaves, which were quite sticky inside, and you mashed them together to make a sort of glue.

You placed the glue inside the cracks and added a few leaves around to make it look prettier. Then you added the last two handfuls back onto the bowl.

It wasn't your best handiwork, but it would do.

*You fixed your mistake. But it is still not perfect.*

This time the voice sounded… what was the word? Err… bittersweet. That's what you learned in vocabulary class.

Whatever that voice was though, it made you feel sad.

Needless to say, you never tampered with free things again.

You came across a room full of cracks on the floor. This looked highly dangerous.

But so did everything in the underground.

The monsters, the puzzles, even the stories. They were all harmless though.

Feeling empowered by your logic, you walked across.

Until it broke from underneath you.

'Oh friskin-frick.'

Then you fell.

And landed on a pile of golden flowers red leaves.

They were quite bouncy and helped you on your fall. You found yourself stuck in a room though. Now what?

You heard a strange sound. It was like a vacuum. It was coming from two vents around your size.

When you came closer, the vacuum sucked you through the vent, and you found yourself on the same room, but on the other side.

The underground couldn't think of Stairs? Really? You gave yourself a hearty facepalm to no one.

You heard some faint giggling somewhere too, but that could have just been you.

You kept walking, and you encountered yet another room. It was blocked with spikes.

'yaaaaay.'

Now you need to do another puzzle. The thought made your laziness increase tenfold.

Times like this made you know that you really needed more exercise. You poked your stomach and it wiggled for a few seconds before going back into place.

'I really am a pudgy kid. Blehhh'

The giggles were a bit louder this time.

You read a sign on the brick. It said:

'3 out of four rocks recommend that you push them.'

Strange.

You looked around and saw a rock. How nice.

You decided to follow the sign and pushed the rock. After a few seconds it fell onto a switch, and the spikes went back into their respective holes.

You laid down on the cool tile floor after 5 times of falling down on leaves and getting attacked by talking vegetables.

Your heart felt like it was bursting from the amount of adrenaline you had rushing in your veins. Falling was a very unpleasant feeling. The fighting was horrible as well.

Why couldn't it be talking musketeers bars, eh? Or flying skittles? Noooo, it had to be **Veggies.**

You shuddered at remembering the talking carrot, throwing broccoli at you.

You tried to talk to it, but it mocked you for talking to a vegetable.

The underground was like wonderland. Perhaps you were Alice?

You ate the strawberry attacks though, so it wasn't that bad.

Except you got bruises from the potatoes that flew with it.

You would never look at French fries the same way again.

 **Ever.**

The monsters would throw gold coins at you too. It made you feel rich. If only grandma could see them with you.

She would probably say 'Wow frisk! You're a rich child now! Your mother would be very proud.'

Then she would cook your favorite treat and you would help. Then you would just sit on the couch and watch her calmly sign her tales.

You missed her. Even if you were here for a bit of time. You hated Nala and the others more than ever now. Sure, they teased you and poked fun, but you never knew they would do this.

Did they hate you that much?

 **Did you deserve it?**

You weren't feeling too much of the vertigo when you fell down the mountain though.

How did you even survive that fall? It was like 100 feet!

Plus, you ended up without a scratch.

Your head hurt thinking of possible reasons. So, you just thought of grandma. Normally it would cheer you up but now…

Thinking of your grandma, and knowing you were probably never going to see her again..

How were you going to get back home? You wanted to see your grandma right now.

You missed her warm hugs, her soft smiles, you missed reading a book next to her, Rufus purring alongside you.

Your grandma was like your mom. But even better. (You supposed it was better, at least. You didn't know.)

You missed her.

Dewey would complain about his parents, but you never saw why. They love him to bits. Dewey needed some "Kindness goggles."

But he wasn't here. Grandma wasn't here.

No one was here.

You finally realized that you are all alone.

*You miss your grandma. If only someone else were here to comfort you. Oh well. *

The voice sounded strange. It was like the tone you make when you are implying something.

*There is literally Nobody here. No one. *

You didn't feel as weirded out for some reason.

'Who are you?'

*it's a secret. *

'Do you think.. we could be friends then?'

*Sure, I guess. Don't expect to get much information about me though.*

'Okay.. But can I call you Ghostie?'

*no.*

Well that ended the moment.

'kay.'

You supposed that you should get up then. Ghostie cheered you up a bit. At least someone was there, though they obviously hated nicknames.

*I could give you a nickname too ya know. And don't call me that. *

You decided to stop teasing them.

You got up slowly, and went through the same path, avoiding the cracks. This time, Ghostie stopped you from proceeding.

*Don't call me Ghostie. And turn left. *

You turned left. Surprisingly you didn't fall.

*now just turn straight. *

Following Ghostie's—

 ***Do you really wish to continue with that sentence? ***

The Voice's advice, you kept going straight, and finally went out of the room of nightmares.

*Jeez, you're hopeless, fun-size.*

'Well, you got me out... so thanks!'

*Don't mention it. Especially the name "Ghostie." Blech. *

'Kay.'

Was the voice a Tsundere?

You could imagine them saying "B-baka"

*Ha. Ha. HA. That was so funny I forgot to laugh.*

The voice stopped talking after that, so you left them alone.

The next room had a block of cheese, with a tiny mouse hole in the bricks. There was a star as well, so you tapped it. The potato bruises didn't hurt as much.

In the next room, you saw another rock puzzle and pushed them all.

Until you went to push the last one, that is.

"Uh, Ex-CUSE ME? Has anyone ever taught you manners, bub?"

So that's what the sign meant.

"All'a you youngsta's think us guys like being pushed around, eh? I'm sick o' it! Back on the surface, dem' winged rats pooping on me, and now you guys sitting on me and using me for puzzles!"

"You think I don't feel the vibrations you make on the ground, twerpy? CUZ I DO! And yous' ain't as 'butterfly light' as you think you are!"

Well that was just painful.

*Pfft. Well aren't you the ballerina. How graceful she is, as she makes craters where her feet land.* They said it like the people who use monotone voices for ice skating.

'You are just mean, ya know that?'

Turning your attention back to the rock, you signed it a brief 'Sorry!' You really hated conflict. Hopefully rocks could see.

"What, no answer? Ya mute or something?"

Just your luck.

You stomped on the ground to say "sorry" in Morse code then.

"Darn right you should be."

The rock did nothing.

You lightly tapped it, as well as did a small series of taps that made the word 'puzzle' in Morse. It might have been missing a 'z' somewhere though.

"Oh. You want me to move then? Okay bub."

It moved an inch.

You tapped it again.

"Oh, now you want me to move further? Picky scrubs nowadays. Back when I was part o' dis 'ere' mountain up in the surface, pebbles like you were amazed if I moved once in hundreds of years, and it was just a millimeter."

It moved to the puzzle with a LOT of convincing.

It was still cool to see a living rock though.

Pfft, You could only imagine putting a living pebble inside of Nala's lunchbox.

*It appears you aren't such a holy baby nun either, eh?*

"Shushies you.'

You came across a room with a mouse hole in one of the walls. There was a table with a small slice of cheese on a plate as well. There was a star next to the table. You tapped it. You felt cozy.

*Knowing that one day, the mice will stop bickering and start working together to get to the table, fills you with DETERMINATION*

The mice were bickering? You kneeled down to look in the hole, and they were indeed arguing. One was in a heated argument about acorns not being nuts, while the other was quite offended and saying its opinion.

They noticed you eavesdropping though, and then the point of the argument was about humans being rude. You decided to get the cheese and lowered it to their home. They stopped arguing then. You never saw a wedge fit into a small 4-inch hole, but they made it work. You looked inside once more and they were having a normal family dinner.

Their priorities were straighter than a military official's posture.

* * *

The next room was very narrow. It had no other way to move, besides through a small patch of leaves in the middle.

In the middle someone was snoring, at least you thought it was snoring.

You came closer to find a bedsheet with two eyes repeatedly saying 'Z'.

"ZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzz (Oh gosh she is still there)"

Huh?

"zZZzzzzZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ (pls leave I wanna cry in peace)"

You had to get through though. And it isn't really healthy to cry alone.

'Why are you crying Ghostie?'

*Did you just give him my nickname? How dare you.*

The voice—

 ***GHOSTIE***

Jeezus **. Ghostie** sounded annoyed.

"I'm not okay right now, no. "

'Why?'

"Because-.. Actually, not really feeling up to it right now.. sorry."

[Napstablook decides to ruin your day by existing! Sorry.]

'Did you say that Ghostie?'

*Huh? No, actually. This monologue is different than mine.*

On the screen were your options:

[Fight] (̢͙̖̰͓͓͖͉T͖͟ͅa̹͙͙̜̥l̸̬͚͍͈̹͔͚k҉̦̙)͉ [Sign] [Act] [Spare]

You didn't want to fight him though. He was just sad after all.

Pressing the sign button, you told Napstablook that he, if anything, was improving your day by talking with you.

"R-Really? No…. I'm probably burdening you already by making you say stuff for me. I'm horrible, huh?"

He sent you attacks made of his own tears. Poor dude.

You dodged a few, then got hit by a few more. They stung, and made you feel like a turd.

You felt your body go slack as you tried to think of something to motivate yourself to go on. You thought of grandma, and immediately felt a surge of energy.

*Your self esteem is great! In garbage terms, that is! *

'Really bruh?'

*Wasn't meeee* said Ghostie in a sing-songy tone.

Maybe his tears had that depressing effect. In that case, he had to stop crying.

You decided to press the act button.

In your options, you could bully him, cheer for him, or be kind to him.

You didn't want to bully the poor guy, even if he made you feel like garbage as of yet. Plus, the more he cries, the faster you die.

You cheered for Napstablook, He seemed a bit happier.

Doing this same routine, you finally got through to him. Its good that it happened too, his attacks were making you lose point in Candy. They were getting weaker with more encouragement though.

*Pshh, Chocolate is better though. *

'Shush.'

*Don't sass me.* They sounded false-offended.

"H-hey, I wanna show you something cool." Napstablook had a small smile across his ghostly features.

'Sure'

Hopefully it was food. You were starving, and without a good meal, candy is pointless. And stomachache-inducing.

Napstablook made a hat out of his tears. It was pretty interesting to see!

"D-Do you like it?"

*It would be cooler with a fish in it. *

You liked it, it was shiny and looked like the best CGI ever.

'Its amazing!'

"Heh…"  
Then, you got a small dialogue box that said: "Napstablook is sparing you."

You spared him immediately. Good thing too, your heart thingy looked kinda dim, and there was a bar that said HP: 9/20.

He moved out of the way, but first he turned to you and said, "I was really sad earlier, but today, I met someone nice." He gave a reserved smile. "Visit me… if you want" as he faded away.

You felt warm inside.

* * *

You walked into a… **SPIDER** bakery. You ran away from them faster than someone could say "Potato".

But.. what if they were also sentient?

You walked back to the bakery, signing and apologizing for your fear of spiders.

You were extremely racist, now that you thought about it.

They talked to each other, before they all nodded in agreement, and gave you a sympathy donut. You gave them huge thanks, as well as giving them money for the donut. It was glazed with purple icing, and it had black sprinkles on top.

You took a big bite of it as you walked out, and a dialogue box came out.

*You ate the spider donut. Your HP was maxed out. *

Huh. Maybe HP meant how healthy you are?

'is that what it means, Ghostie?'

*Yep. Down here, HP stands for health points. You lose them all, and you die. Keep the points up by eating food! It heals you right up. *

You were never more glad to be chubby in your life, then.

Ghostie was bragging about how cool it was down here. You tuned them out.

*Her. I'm a girl ya' know. *

'Sorry.'

But, why was it called "Spider donut"? You looked at the donut, about to take another bite, (Because gosh it tasted good) before you noticed something inside of it. A raisin?

You examined it more, when Ghostie said: *Spider donut, made from spiders, and of spiders! Spiders in the air, in your donut, from their care. Bon appetit. *

She was laughing more than ever now.

And you?

You felt sick.

You went through many more puzzles with Ghostie's help, most of them involving buttons and pillars. Then you fell into many more traps with veggies and frogs and flies and more. It was tiring.

You never ate more of the donut though.

 **Never.**

You finally ran into a hall and walked to the end of it. It had a view of the underground from a terrace. Up above, instead of the blue skies you knew, you were greeted with rock ceilings and stalactites.

The city of monsters was huge too! Tons of buildings, and many monsters roaming on the ground below. It was pretty peaceful.

You looked at the floor, liking the pattern of the tile as well. It had the same symbol as Toriel's dress, and the door.

Until you saw a knife on the floor, that is.

It looked a bit ashy and grey.

It was a toy. But why did it feel wrong holding it?

You felt the need to leave it on the floor.

You felt an urge to throw it away.

You felt the need to run away from the room.

And Ghostie said nothing for once.

* * *

You walked to the last room. It had a tree, old and large, with its last leaves falling down.

'I guess it knows the seasons even down here. It is fall after all.'

You wanted to climb onto it, it had low hanging branches, so that could help you get there. You saw a small glimmer in the leaves too. You wanted to tap it more than ever for some reason.

You gave it a light touch, making you more tired than before. You were exhausted, your clothes were bloodied, torn and burnt, had moth holes and smelled like sweat and P.U. You just wanted to sleep. You curled up on the lowest branch and slept like a baby.

You didn't notice Toriel walking in the room with groceries and a white dog at her side. You didn't notice her taking you to her home, nor did you notice her tucking you in with soft, parka covers. You just noticed how warm you felt, and how cold you were without your grandma there.

* * *

 **Hope you enjoyed guys! Please rate and review, and have a wonderful day! :D**


	5. Enter the flames!

'The first thing I noticed when I took them home, was how tired they looked. So frail, fragile. Humans sure were tough, but times like these made them look like the gentlest creatures in the world. '

'They had gone through the ruins without letting me know, which made all of the monsters here aware of them. The other monsters were quite happy with them though. I came home to find her on a tree. She seemed a bit worse for wear, so I will have to give them a stern talking-to.'

'They were quite heavy for a child their age though. Perhaps this one is from a good family?'

'They look so much like the first.. Its uncanny.' Toriel then began to brush off the thoughts of the first child.

Those eyes as they smiled weakly.

That bloodstained smile, hiding what they refused to tell, even to their end.

 **You failed them. You failed them all, you old hag.**

A grim expression flashed across her features. 'So this is what happens when haggards like me are alone to ponder. Hah…'

Toriel frowned at the thought. Now that she thought about it, her journal was filled with depressing notes.

She flipped through it. The notebook was very worn, and this was the 30th one she had, plus she maintained them very well. The first one she got was when the first human came. That one was lost somehow though.

Then she got another when the third child came, writing down all of her pleasant experiences with the child.

It was a month before they left though.

There are still some burnt remains of the papers in her fireplace.

 **Why didn't she leave before? Giving her hope like this was just prolonged suffering.**

But then she met her friend, so that was okay, right?

 _Right?_

Thinking of her daily visitor, she decided to focus on using her notebook for something less saddening and was already thinking about jokes to tell him.

Ripping out all of the old pages and throwing them into the bin, she focused on some wordplay ideas.

But, they left her head as soon as they came. So, Toriel settled for an old classic he had probably not heard.

"Why did the skeleton want friends? Because he was BONELY"

She made sure to underline the punchline in another color to not forget.

Three times.

In red marker.

She had a lot of time on her hands.

After she had underlined, boxed, and decorated the punchline , (which was more for her own amusement by now than anything) Toriel went to the kitchen and began cooking her all famous pie for her guest, who was sleeping soundly.

* * *

You woke up in your bedroom. Rufus was purring alongside you as he cuddled your arm.

' _W-was it all a dream?'_

Just to make sure, you called for your companion.

'Ghostie? Ghostie are you there?'

But nobody came. You were only greeted by birds chirping outside.

Jumping out of your covers you dashed through the halls to find grandma.

And there she was. Cooking sweet corn and baking shepherd's pie.

You felt your body tense, going through intervals of a sinking feeling and incredible relief.

You ran to hug her. You wanted her comfort, tears stained your eyes as you ran to grab her and tell her you cared the most.

But as soon as you went to grab her, she disappeared.

Your loving, sweet, gentle grandma was nothing more than thin air.

The kitchen had morphed into Joey, Dewey, and Nala's face, all of them laughing at you..!

"DEMON!" they all chanted as they laughed some more.

You wanted to scream, you wanted to kick and yell..!

But all you felt was a warm trickle of blood down your throat.

The room became an ocean as you drowned. All you saw was the faint glow that came from the curse on your neck.

A chain tattoo. The more you talk, the tighter it binds, until you are coughing in suffocation, blood loss, and imminent death.

All you could think was about how much you just wanted to see grandma again, one last time.

Then it all faded away.

B̵̮̳͂̋u̷͙̩͐ẗ̶̗̣̕ ̴̬͚͝n̴͓̈́ô̵̊ͅb̸͌ͅo̴̪̅̅d̶͓̻͘y̷̔͝ͅ ̶̠̈́͊c̶̡̡̉å̸̧͂m̵̡̋́e̵̡͑.̵̨̧͝

* * *

You woke up on a bed. Not a tree. Not a nightmare room. Not even on the surface.

You were in

A squishy,

Comfy,

Plush,

Bed.

You were drenched in a cold sweat, taking deep, measured breaths. You were in a cozy room, in a bed, with parka covers. Then you flopped onto the bed and napped for another hour.

The memory was faint.

But then, you dreamt about food.

What was that other dream though?

You wanted to slap yourself to see if you were dreaming, but you felt like you had no energy to will yourself to leave the comfort of the furry blankets. So you tried to sleep some more.

*Oi. Don't sleep anymore, you'll rob insomniacs of their bed rest.*

You forgot that ghostie was still there.

*Rude.*

*And I'm tired of you dreaming about food. I get it, you are a chub in denial. But no need to take it THAT far dude. *

' _That was private!'_

*Your moments of intimacy make me question what you call gossip.*

' _HEY! And my dreams are beautiful! They are so realistic I can taste the musketeers bars.'_

*You have problems, ya know that?*

And you are a stalker.

*…Touche.*

You heard ghostie mutter something along the lines of "Douchy pudge", but you left her to whatever she enjoyed doing in your head.

*I just watch you for enjoyment. Your existence amuses me.*

Does that mean that she has nothing better to do?

Ghostie didn't talk after that. But she did mutter a few choice words that you didn't want a dictionary for.

You got off of the bed, which was more painful that ripping a band aid off of arm hair-

*How do you know what that feels?*

' _Dewey the douchey gave me that liberty of finding out.'_

*Ouch.*

' _Very much ouchies.'_

As you were monologuing, you got off of the bed, and put on a pair of flipflops that were next to the bed.

You then looked around the room. It had soft red wallpaper, and brown carpeted floors. The way it was decorated made it look very old, yet there wasn't a speck of dust lying around. You also noticed a toy chest in the middle of the room.

'Maybe Toriel had kids before.'

*yeah… maybe.*

Ghostie sounded strange, but you decided to leave her be.

There was also a desk in front of you, so you decided to check if it had any drawing materials. There was only a red crayon and a paper full of notes. There was also an empty picture frame on the desk.

Walking out of the bedroom, you were greeted with a hall full of warm tones. It made you feel happy inside. There were hardwood floors and vases with some sort of plant.

You decided to inspect it.

*Behold the water sausage. The almighty plant that can fool even an experienced barbecue-operator with just some red food coloring. *

Joey's dad does a lot of barbecue… HMMM

*Pfft, does Joey even deserve that horror?*

He was just a scared kid. So cowardly he has to pick on a girl who can't speak back. Hmph.

 ** _But.._**

Just thinking about him talking about your grandma made your blood boil. It made you want to see his nose bashed in sometimes.

'HA! Whatcha gonna do now, huh freak? Go to your old potato sack?'

'Naw, she's probably gonna go worship some demon for all I know. My grandpa told me.'

'Or maybe she wants to go pig out on a jug of Nutella. Fat runt!'

...

You hated them.

But coming home to see grandma with her patient smile, it made you the gentlest pacifist ever.

*Humans are horrible.*

Well, not that much either. You wouldn't doubt them with your curse. Just thinking about the chain-like tattoo on your neck, waiting menacingly to bathe you in red.

.

.

Maybe you are a freak.

*Don't say that! They are the ones at fault. That's why humans are disgusting creatures."

' _What about me?'_

* _…*_

*…you're good I guess, besides the fact that you fantasize with twinkies.*

' _SHUSH'_

You saw the small table the vase rested on. It had a cabinet. Looking inside, there were some broken crayons, with the red one being the most wasted. You took the pinks, purples, and blues. They might be useful later.

In the end of the hall was a locked room, closed for maintenance, and a mirror at the very end.

Going to the mirror, ghostie pitched in yet again.

*Its You!*

You looked at yourself. Not much, really. You had this weird squint that drove the kids laughing all the time, not to mention a resting-neutral face. Your hair was puffed in loose curls, dragging softly across your face as you brushed them off. Poofing your hair and sprucing for no reason, you went on.

Proceeding from the hall, you went into the next room. It had a blue color scheme going on, with a large bed. It was probably about 6 feet in width, with 7 feet in length. There were white hairs scattered on the pillow.

Made sense.

There was also a desk to the left of the room.

The chair had a small plate on the back.

"Chairiel."

Wow.

Checking out the desk, you saw a diary with only one page opened. It had a lame joke with an overly decorated punchline. With small lines punched in the paper for more emphasis.

Grandma would be proud if she saw this right now.

Looking at the drawer to the front of the room, you opened it to find…

Socks.

*Scandalous!*

Ghostie was pretty whimsical, now that you thought about it.

*Thanks.*

' _No prob, bob'_

*Call me bob again and you will see how fast I shut up. I dare you.*

You shut up quickly after that.

There was also a large, flowering cactus in the right corner of the room.

*Ah, the cactus. Truly the most tsundere of plants.*

' _Hello kettle, nice to meet you.'_

*You are worse than Teletubbies, you know that?*

' _EW'_

Those cartoons were the worst. Yuck.

You heard some weird clinking sounds under the desk. It was a regular trashbin.

Full of snails.

They all huddled together, clinking their shells as they did so. You picked one up by its small house.

"T-They're out to get me…! I gotta go to the spaceyard and eat some moon rocks… hahahahAHA"

You dropped it in the bin.

It was to early for this shit….ake mushroom.

*I hear she eats them ra-*

NOPE NOT TODAY.

*Jeez. You are afraid of spiders, yet you can hold a snail.*

'Dewey would smash them.. so I was scared for them, instead of being scared of them.'

You glanced back at the poor things. Some were crying, others pleading, some cursing their existence.

You had to free them.

You took the snail bin, sneakily heading to the leaf gardens.

Toriel wasn't there, so it was easier.

'You ever heard of Harriet Tubman?'

*Who's that?*

'She is a great hero! She saved tons of people from slavery!'

*Thats cool but, how is this relevant?*

'Because right now Im doing that same thing. But for snails.'

*She makes that into pie ya know.*

You felt sick.

You left the snail bin outside and went back to the house.

They were having a party later, at least, that's what you heard from the talking froggit.

* * *

You got back inside and went back to her room afterwards, spending a few minutes looking through her jokes.

"What do you call a skeleton woman? A 'Femur'le!"

She was passionate, you gave her that.

Since you were getting tired of looking at her room and wondering how a carpet could accumulate so much goat hair, you left the room and went down the yellow hallway. All around were vases of water sausages. There were also a few crimson-colored flowers. Cute!

*Well this is different than how it used to be…*

' _What was that ghostie?'_

*nothing.*

You entered a small mudroom with stairs to your right and the exit to your left. The tree you saw was a familiar sight as you looked through a window. The stairs looked pretty wide, but that made sense compared to the people living here.

The décor was warm and welcoming, with picture frames, and bookshelves.

And that very same staircase that tempted you to explore it.

There was also a star in front of the stairs. You tapped it. You felt toasty.

But you ignored that adventurous sentiment for now, as you went to see more of the home.

Going through another doorway, you hesitantly peeked inside when you heard the sounds of a roaring fireplace.

You saw Toriel sitting down on a armchair casually by the fire. The room had a small dining table tucked to a side and a large bookshelf that almost took up the wall.

Toriel looked up from her book and smiled when she saw you.

"Well hello my child! Pardon me, I hadn't noticed you there, dear."

'Its okay Toriel. How long was I sleeping for?'

"Well not much, dear. You were only out for about 2 hours or so. Did you have a good rest?"

'Yep! What are you reading by the way Toriel?'

"Well, this is a very interesting book I found! It's called, 1,000 ways to cook snails, with facts! TM."

Was the audible trademark really necessary?

*Down here, we have that to an art.*

Great. Just great.

"Look here! Did you know that a snail can lick off calcium from rocks and even other snail shells?"

Ew.

*Hey! That book is beauty to the ears! Or, you know, whatever you have under that messy bob of curls.*

Toriel noticed your soured expression, and proceeded to smile, although rather sheepishly.

OH NO.

*Sheepishly? Really? Woooooow.*

"Oops. Im afraid I have rambled for too long."

*'Ram'ble—*

SHUSH.

"I have made a very nice surprise for you as well, dear! Follow me."

Toriel offered you her hand, which you accepted as she led you to a small kitchen.

It had barely any cabinets, and was very minimalistic, only carrying the basic necessities.

On top of the table stood a mighty pie, standing in all of its cinnamon glory.

This was beautiful.

You were crying. It was just so marvelous..!

*oh shut up.*

'k'

"Do you like it?"

'I LOVE IT!'

Toriel smiled fondly. She might get along with grandma.

She served you a giant slice. You could see miniature clouds on top, wavering in the presence of such a mighty dessert.

You went to the dining table and stared at it like it was a relic.

"Now, I will go attend to some.. errands, my child. Enjoy the pie!"

*You REALLY like sweets, don't you? *

' _They are my friends._ ' You thought dramatically.

You ate a small bite, almost feeling guilty at the thought of knowing it would be gone without self-restraint.

It was heavenly.

It was almost gone before you knew it.

Ghostie seemed a bit disappointed, you could practically hear her bummed-out noise.

' _What's wrong?'_

*N-nothing. You will think I'm weird anyway.*

' _Nonsense! Tell me! We're friends, aren't we?'_

*…*

' _Welll?'_

*Can I try a bit of the pie?* ghostie was muttering a faint whisper of sound. It echoed profusely, compared to her clear voice.

'What was that?'

Now ghostie was muttering more.

' _huh?'_

*CAN I TRY A PIECE OF THE GODFORSAKEN PIE YOU TUB o' LARD?!*

'…'

*O-oh… Um.. Im sorry for that… you don't have to do anything if you wan-*

'All you needed to do was ask.' You said, as you gave a smile to 'no one.'

Ghostie really is a tsun.

B-Baka.

*Then I bet you are comic relief.*

Touche.

So, how was ghostie going to be able to eat?

*Simple. Just agree to giving me temporary control of your body. Totally not as awkward as it sounds.*

Wait, ghostie WASN'T a voice in your head?

*Surpriiiise.*

But then ho- -

*No questions.*

You felt kind of nervous doing this. But.. Ghostie sounded like a kid. Just like you. It must have been lonely. Just watching you for entertainment.

Was she lonely all this time?

' _Ghostie, you seemed alone before. It must have been hard… You wanted to talk to me back when I met you.. right?'_

*..*

' _You are a good friend, ya know? I don't know why, but I feel like I've known you forever, heh. Sorry if that sounds goofy.'_

*Thanks..* they whispered. It was so silent you wouldn't be able to hear it unless it were from your conscience.

' _I trust you ghostie. You helped me all this time, after all.'_

You served another slice of the pie, which Toriel noticed, giggling slightly. Then you sat yourself on the dining table.

*Are you really okay with me doing this?*

You agreed.

Then, you experienced something out of anything you ever felt before.

You felt like you were being sucked in, losing control of your extremities as you felt yourself being shift into your mind.

Opening your eyes, you looked around, only to notice..

Your mind was pretty blank.

Is this what ghostie feels all the time? You felt nothing. A frozen numbness that stayed in your nerves, making yourself so heavy that you couldn't even lift a finger.

It was terrifying. How you felt no control. How you felt nothing. How you felt like you were losing breath to find there was nothing there.

*Um.. Okay, can you hear me, pudgy?*

' _Frisk.'_

*hm?*

' _My name is Frisk. Don't call me pudgy, please.'_

*sorry.*

Ghostie turned her attention to the food, and you saw everything from a third person view. It was crazy how everything was a void of black except for a large view of your surroundings.

*Thanks for trusting me.. Frisk.*

You could barely hear her saying ' I missed this..'

But it could have just been you.

*If I were you, I would focus on mobility back there. It helps a LOT. It also makes it possible to float, but you need to focus. Don't expect to be able to get it on the first day, though.*

You tried focusing on moving your limbs, and repeated the mantra, "This is my mind, and my domain" like a prayer.  
Thinking of being able to move, it filled you with DETERMINATION.

Then, you moved your fingers, then your toes, and from there you worked on limbs. You could walk! Albeit stiffly.

' _so is this what its like in my mind? Can't I make any furniture? Or a home?'_

She stopped eating, as if to ponder.

*Well, yeah, but only you can. I'm not in control of your body, ya know. I guess you could because it is your mind. Sorta like.. dream logic. Anything can happen. *

You decided to make some entertainment.

Focusing all of your thoughts into home, you made a little version of your bedroom. It wasn't sunny, but it had some books and even a mini Rufus.

He wasn't interactive though. The bed was still soft, at least. Flipping through the books, it was just a mini summary of what you remembered from them.

What about entertainment? Concentrating a bit more, you made the room bigger, and added a large window where you saw the outside world.

Lastly, you made a small butterscotch pie. It was warm and tasted around the same, but it would never run out.

You couldn't make Mind-Rufus move though.

Willpower was hard.

*You okay?*

' _Yep. I got a surprise for you ghostie!'_

*I'll wait then.*

She ate it slowly, and the pie must have been pretty nice. You could tell because she kept on swaying with every bite she ate.

' _And then you make fun of me. Kettle.'_

*Fine, I get it. Pot. *

Finishing the pie with a small sigh of contentment, she washed her hands and walked to the bedroom.

' _Wait, I wanna look at the mirror.'_

*Why? You already know what you look like. *

' _Pweasee?'_

*Jeezus.*

She did a mind-equivalent of a grumble, and hesitantly walked to the mirror.

Your skin looked a tad paler, with a reddish hue to your cheeks. Your eyes looked like the same amber, though there was a red hue to the irises as well.

' _You look cool ghostie.'_

*well, are you ready to take full custody of your body?*

' _that sounds weird when you say it like that.'_

*Do you want to have your body back or no?*

' _Yes I'll take it. Not like there's any reason not to. '_

Then, you found the picture in front of you getting closer and closer, you started feeling from the limbs up, and before you knew it, you were back in your body.

It was very strange, but you prepared for the ride back.

*Wait… whats this? Frisk you didn't have to do all of this for me!*

' _Shush. Its your present, no?'_

*But.. I don't deserve all of this. You have done enough for me, Frisk.*

Why would she think that?

*THE BED IS SOFT OH MY GOD*

If only you could giggle without hacking your lungs out.

You settled for a breathy huff of air.

*Now if you excuse me, I think I'm going to sleep here a bit.*

' _But how can you-'_

*SHUSH.*

You opened your eyes slowly and looked at the plate.

The pie she ate was gone, albeit being slower to go. Poor ghostie.

*Don't pity me.*

' _K_ '

*Don't say K*

' _K….ay.'_

*Fine then.*

' _ayy_ '

You didn't know if ghostie would be able to sleep through it, but you were going to read a book. There was one on cooking techniques that caught your eye, and you wanted to impress grandma when you came back.

You could see it now.

' _Oh Frisk! You made me something? I'm so proud of you my love. Let's eat it together!'_

' _You are such a great cook Frisk! If only my old hands could make something like this.._ '

You smiled faintly.

Why were you crying?

* * *

Toriel felt very nervous.

The child was going through all of the same things the others did. They never listened, did they?

First, they came, then they explored. Then they left. All but one wanted to leave, and that one left as well. Navy blue haunts her memories.

Toriel walked down to the basement, thinking on what to do. It was very hard to think with all the thoughts swimming in her mind. But, it was that time of day to talk to her friend.

She was going to be happy, even if only for him.

Because that's what good friends do.

"Hello? Friend are you there?"

"Sup lady. I was beginning to think you weren't there, heh."

"I would never miss this little time to chat.. hehe."

Toriel sighed. Worries crept up her back, and they were the kind that were hard to keep off.

…

The two joked and laughed for about an hour or so. But the thoughts never went off, even with her famous de-stressing method.

She wasn't laughing as much, even when he said his notorious joke:

"Why do dogs like bones? Because they are 'hard' to quit!"

"O-Oh! Ha.. ha… That is a wonderful joke, friend.." No! she had to stay strong!

Her friend was quiet.

"You okay lady? You aren't acting like yourself."

"Nonsense! Now, listen to my joke. Why did the skeleton want friends?"

"..Why?" He didn't sound as amused.

"Because she was feeling 'bonely'!"

"Don't you ever get bonely there lady? I don't think the ruins are very busy."

"I'm fine, dear."

"You don't sound like it. If you want, you can take a rest at home." He sounded concerned?

"But I'm okay, friend."

"You don't exactly sound okay, lady" he pressed.

"Ah, I cannot hide anything from you, huh?" her voice was getting kind of choked up. She didn't want another child to die..!

"You okay?"

She had to make sure that the child would be okay. even if they get past her.

"Sentry of Snowdin town" This was the first time she used her formal voice in a long time.

"Yes, Lady?" He didn't sound as casual either, perhaps because of the sudden title.

"I can trust, you, right?"

"W-wait what's wrong, lady?"

" **Can I trust you?"**

 **"..."**

"Yes. Yes you can. We are friends, ain't we?" His accent still slipped out though he tried to maintain formal.

"Then promise me something."

"what is it?"

"Friend. If you ever see a human walk by these doors, please, promise me. to watch over them and protect them. Will you not?"

He stayed silent for a long time.

Perhaps you should have said nothi-

"Okay lady. I promise."

* * *

The book was about snails.

Goats eat Snails?

You thought ghostie was messing with you when she said that. Unfortunately, this was reality.

Speaking of which..

'Hey Ghostie, You good in there?'

Your reply was soft snores. If only you knew what she looked like. You would be able to imagine her on the new 'bed'.

You looked to see the kitchen counter once again. The pie was massive. You thought about taking it with you, but the thought intimidated you.

But back to the thought about the snails..

Perhaps you should leave now before she decides to give you a 'proper' dinner.

Going to the snails village, you looked to see they were having a party. The one you grabbed, though, was on a psychiatrist session, laying sideways on a leaf while another one was taking notes with another leaf.

It walked off of the leaf to see you, afterwards, which was about a minute later.

"I feel so alive! The doctor prescribed me one mushroom a day. It works wonders."

You couldn't imagine, but you went along with it.

Warning the snails about Toriel, you walked back inside.

You went into the living room and talked to Toriel.

'Hi goat ma, I like your place. It's pretty cozy.'

You were going to go soon, but you felt nice here. Grandma would get along so well with torie-

"Well I'm very happy you enjoy it my child, you will be staying here, after all." Toriel said, smiling.

What?

*….*

'But Toriel, I'm not staying here. I want to go home.'

"B-But this is your home now, my child." She tried to pat your hair, you refused, moving away from her touch.

'You're kidding right?'

"Well of course not, dear! You live here now."

' _Oh my god this lady is mad.'_

'I'm not staying though. I have family!'

"It won't be so bad living here! I can show you my favorite bug-hunting spot for pie and tarts!"

NOPE.`

'..Where is the exit to the ruins.'

You were DETERMINED to go.

"Wouldn't you want to hear more snail facts?"

'When can I go home?'

You were filled with DETERMINATION.

Toriel's expression soured. O' shitake mushrooms.

You hated mushrooms.

"I need to do something. Don't follow me."

Toriel got up, putting her book on the chair, before speeding away.

*I wake up and the first thing I see is this. Damn gurl.*

' _No cussing in my mind young lady!'_

*I'm older than you. But okay, your mind your rules I guess.*

You went and ran to where Toriel was.

You decided to tap the star beside the stairs again.

She was going down the stairs as you went to catch up.

Going down the stairs you noticed that this was a secret hall. It was long and winding, and it was crazy to think that someone had this instead of a regular basement.

"You are like all the others. You wish to leave, even though I am trying my best to protect you."

Toriel's tone was cold. Distant. It felt like an icicle was slowly prodding your veins as you walked on.

' _There were other kids besides me? What happened to them, ghostie?'_

*They're gone now, Frisk.* said ghostie, solemnly.

' _Where did they go?'_

*They are **GONE** now Frisk.* She repeated yet again.

You reached Toriel again.

"Every time. They come. They go. **They die**. I don't want this to happen to you my child!"

Was… Was she crying?

Ghostie sounded kind of distressed to see Toriel like that.

'But Toriel! I need to go see my grandma!'

"Ha… HA.. HAHA! You think you can still go through this hell? You will have to face the king. He is not as nice as me. **He will kill you.** "

Seeing her steeled resolve, it scared you. Her eyes glowed in a fiery orange, irises looking like flames. She went off, paws closed into fists, and went through the final hall.

The room felt like it was 79 degrees, and even hotter the closer you got to her. There you saw her. She was welding the metal outings of the door with flames!

"*huff...* Outside.. of this door, lies the rest of the underground. If you go through, I will not be able to protect you..!"

"You are going to STAY, and you are going to be happy! The ruins might not be much, but you will live!"

The flames were larger, hotter, stronger.

Until she finally welded the door shut.

She backed from the door with a grimace, as you saw her paws practically charbroiled from her own magic.

*mom….*

Then you glanced at the door. It was glowing a bright orange, laced with red, as it cooled down. There was also some powder on it.

It was the same kind you saw on the knife, now that you thought about it.

The door was too hot to handle without burning yourself.

You said a pun.

But you are too sad to laugh.

Now you won't see grandma again.

Now she will be in trouble with the government.

Child services might get her.

She will be sad without you.

And its all your fault.

It's all their fault.

 **Its**

 **All**

 **HER**

 **Fault.**

At this point you were crying. Fat tears rolled down your cheeks in the manner that would shame you for 'immaturity' until you reached high school.

*Frisk, wait, calm do-*

 **NO.**

 **You were not going to calm down.**

You went to Toriel, who was already talking about school programs while healing her paws.

You grabbed the hem of her dress, and with all your will, you spoke with all of your volition.

*Frisk NO!*  
" **I HATE YOU!** " You screamed it out for the world to hear.

With your ragged voice you yelled. She took your last source of comfort. She took away you last chance of happiness.

You were crying even more, you didn't care about how blood was slowly streaming down your chin thickly.

You started a fight.

Your soul was out, growing dimmer as you spoke. You hit her weakly.

-0.1 hp.

*Toriel did nothing.*

You hit the talk and fight button at the same time.

*Toriel did nothing.*

-0.1

You didn't care about how Ghostie was pleading for you to stop.

You didn't care about what Toriel would think about the curse.

All you kept doing was shouting "I hate you"

Even though you were coughing more than yelling, you kept on.

You didn't care about how pale you were looking due to blood loss.

You didn't notice how red your sweater was now.

You didn't notice how a figure was slowly coming into view.

You weren't thinking. You could barely hear yourself. The chains on your neck were glowing like mad, until the curse had finally struck its final blow, cutting off your airflow as you choked like mad.

The last thing you saw was your soul turning pale as death, breaking in two, Toriel cupping her hands over her face, and ghostie looking at you.

She really is a kid as well.

Why was she crying?

With all your determination, you looked at Toriel, saying a final, spiteful, "I hate you." As you fell down and died.

When children with determination souls are born, they do not have the curse yet. It comes when they reach the age of 5. So, they are encouraged to sing and yell and shout as much as they can before midnight. But when the clock strikes 12, nothing magical happens.

Only something that scars them for life.

* * *

Frisk- LV 1 7:02

Toriel's p̶r̴i̷s̶o̸n̵ home

*Frisk! *

You heard a voice somewhere. It echoed tremendously. Looking around all you saw was black, with a small screen in front of you that looked like Flowey's patch of dirt. Toriel was in her armchair, crying softly.

*Stay determined! You are the future of humans and monsters! *

Who was that? Weren't you dead though? Your mind was fuzzy.

You saw two buttons in front of you.

[Continue] [Reset]

What was a reset? You wanted to press that button. Until someone grabbed it away from you.

Oh.. it was ghostie. Why were they yelling?

*Frisk you got to snap out of this, you idiot! You died!*

'Oh.. im dead.. haha..' you couldn't think.

You felt neutral about everything here. It was nice, not to worry.

*FRISK! What about your grandma? What about getting out of here!*  
Grandma? Who's grandma? You saw your feet getting slowly pixelated. Your mind was fuzzier.

'let me touch that, ghostie. C'mon, please?' the pixels were growing towards your chest. You didn't know who this person in front of you was.

*sigh.* *Sorry frisk, but you aren't yourself right now.*

Who's Frisk?

The person jumped into your chest and forced you into a weird room. You looked at some cat that was on the bed.

D̸̹̟͆o̵͑͛ͅn̸͕̫͛̅'̵̛̍ͅț̵̢͋ ̷̪͓̿f̸̠̑ò̸̢̹͝r̵̭̈́g̷̣̽e̸̟͆t̴̩̂ ̶͚̞̑a̶̝̅ḃ̸̪o̶͖̪͘ư̵̱̠ṫ̷̨̤̍ ̶̲̄R̴̢̗̈́u̴̦͠f̸̃͜u̵̯̙͑s̸̖͌͋.̷͈͜͠

Looking out the window, you saw the weird person pressing the [Continue] Button, and everything faded back to white.

* * *

You woke up from the floor. You were right next to the stairs.

Wait.

Didn't you just die a painful death before?

What happened?

How did this happen?

Why would you be alive?

Until the memories flooded back into your mind.

You died. You soaked in blood and died.

You had to go. You would think about it later.

Stumbling as you got up, you went down the stairs quietly, catching a faster pace with more memories entering your mind yet again.

You ran down the stairs and through the halls, Toriel was already in the large door-room.

But, she wasn't welding the doors.

"Normally, I would go and melt the door, but…" Toriel's voice cut off your thoughts.

"I feel as though I would be doing something horrible by doing that."

Did she remember? No. If she remembered she would act differently.

"So, I want you to prove me. Prove to me you can survive in the underground."  
Toriel straightened her posture and put her hands to her sides, before extending her arm towards you, flames with black centers reaching towards you.

A battle was started as she pulled out your soul.

The court around you appeared slowly, and out were your options yet again.

[FIGHT] [ACT] [ITEM] [MERCY]

You were still angry at Toriel, but she did this out of desperation to help.

Two wrongs don't make a right. You were fueled with anger before, but that just made drama.

You didn't have the heart to hurt her back then, and you still did not now.

You pressed the ACT button and decided to sign to her.

But..

How were you going to tell her she killed you, when you are right there? She will think you are crazy!

So, you decided to do the one thing the froggit taught you to do.

You spared her.

She looked at you pick a button with cold eyes, but when you pressed the spare button, she flinched.

Before steeling her resolve yet again, that is.

Toriel said nothing, sending more fireballs at you. But the centers were not as dark. Maybe it was linked to emotion?

You dodged them as they flew at you. A few were rolling on the floor as well. They burned your sweater and pants a few times, but you were okay.

You spared her again. Toriel looked conflicted.

They were all rolling on the floor now.

You spared her countless times, until the centers of the fireballs were all white, and avoiding you like the plague.

"Please.. You will be happy here.. I don't want to lose you too! You remind me so much of them…"

*…*

'It will be alright! But I have a family up there Toriel. The way you are feeling loss.. I would feel that forever If I don't go.'

"..I understand, dear. You know how to fight without fighting. The way you can show mercy to those who don't deserve it.. Its amazing, how you can be so determined."

"For you, just this once, my fear, my doubts, my worries, I shall set them aside for you. But please do not come back. I would not be able to let you go again."

"Outside is the rest of the underground. Before you go, promise me, you will live and go on to your family."

Something about this… it strengthened your resolve. You were filled with determination.

'I will.'

She opened the door, and you walked through.

Turns out that wasn't the last door. You heard the gateway behind you close with a click, and you walked on. Right in front of you was a patch of grass.

Why did you feel so much deja-vu?

"you IDIOT"

Oh. Now you remember.

*Who dafug is this flower-ho?*

' _whats a ho?'_

*Crap.*

 _'Potty mouth.'_

Flowey's ugly face greeted your vision with the same creepy expression.

"You think I didn't notice? You went and killed yourself, freak!"

'How do you know that?!'

"Simple. I remember. I remember **EVERYTHING.** "

Oh god.

"And I will be watching you. And relishing every single moment of your demise, until I can be the one to cause it." Said he, with a smile too wide for his features.

He let out a scratchy, menacing laugh, before going back into the dirt.

And you were left with fear.

*I don't know why, frisk, but he seems familiar, for some reason.*

Why were you afraid of a flower though?

Hmph. You'll show him!

You jumped on the dirt he stood on before, feeling like a rebel for doing so.

*How rebellious! What next in your descent into crime? Drinking from the carton?*

Ghostie was laughing, and doing a dramatic gasp.

What a drama queen.

*HEY!*

The last door stood in front of you. You looked up at it, before reaching for the cold handle and walking through.

You were greeted with Snow.

' _One step closer to the surface.'_


	6. Out of the frying pan, into the Snow?

You slowly walked through the door, shivering suddenly at the change of temperature.

'Oh jeez this sucks.'

*Why? Don't you love the snow?*

'Snow is only good when you are far away from it, and you have a blanket, heating pad, cocoa, marshmallows, shelter, and a window to watch it from.'

*Oh my god you are one of those vanilla chickies, eh?*

'But I like vanilla…'

*Noted. I love the snow. Its blindingly white, and it covers all of the ugly in the world. I remember the times I would look around and see everything white. The sky, the ground, the trees, it was amazing. The only thing was how sick I got-er….. from the cold. *

You noticed her cutting off her sentence, but, deciding not to pry, you complimented her use of words.

'You really are poetic, ghostie.'

It was extremely cold now. The icy wind blew through your autumn sweater, and you could barely hold more than one thought at a time from sneezing.

Why did you let yourself get into this mess?

But most importantly, how did you live after dying?  
*…Its because of your soul.*

What soul—Oh. Ghostie must have meant the heart thing. You almost forgot the name.

'What does my soul have to do with it?'

*It's a red one. That means you are determined as f…risk.*

*You can't die as long as you touch those stars, I guess. Determination means you are so determined that you can break the bounds of time and death.*  
'deep. I don't think I want to keep dying though. It hurts.'

*I WONDER WHY.*

You cleared a small section of snow and sat on the cold rocky ground. You hated winter. But you also hated exercise.

And you didn't want to get up and feel more of the chilly wind.

*Huh? H-hey! Wait! You have to get up and start moving, Frisk! If you stay in one place you will get colder, and the last time you touched those stars was back when Toriel fought you!*  
'But I don't wanna… I'll get colder… I'm from the Tropics ya know. Well, at least.. a fourth of me is.'

*I don't get that logic, but-*

You then proceeded to think about your family lines. Now that you thought correctly, you were almost completely American because of your parents.

*Uh okay but Frisk I think-*

Grandma was from Puerto Rico though. That's why she shivered every winter. You would warm her hands and buy as many hand warmers as you could in the wintertime, having a small box of the packets inside of the living room closet.

You would get a plush blanket and grab Rufus, who didn't really oppose, and you sided next to her on snowy days, watching the snowflakes gently glaze your window with frost.

She would wear her glasses and knit you mittens. You would wear them every day with pride.

'You have to keep your hands nice and safe. Don't let them become like mine.'

When Nala pulled them apart loop by loop, and you came back with immense frustration, all she would do is smile and make you another.

'Don't choose violence, Frisk. That's not how anyone wins. Choose peace, okay love?'

So, you did as she said, even when Nala then pestered you into trying to speak, mittens in hand.

"What was that Frisk? I can't hear you. Your spell casting isn't speech."

She always said that when you were signing to her.

"Just tell me if it bothers you, Frisky."

You hated that nickname. It made you feel inferior.

So, she pulled it apart, you were trying to tell her to stop, writing a rushed message only for it to be ripped by Joey. There it proceeded, 10 minutes feeling like five hours.

Then they left, laughing and bragging to the others on how they beat a silent demon.

And all you had was a bunch of fuzzy, warm string, tears, and a sense of indignation.

*Frisk… get up..*

Grandma had arthritis. She would have a great trouble with many household deeds.  
She made those mittens for you, though she clutched her hands and massaged them gently.

You could see a glint of determination in her eyes to make them for you.

You told her it was okay, you could just buy a pair or use a hand warmer.

But she made them.

And you still have the yarn. Just touching it made your heart feel like lead.

How was she going to manage without your help?

She's all alone..

People will think she did something wrong to you.

Gosh you were an idiot. You climbed up here because you didn't want to be bullied, and now you're in this mess.

Your thoughts proceeded into a downwards spiral, until the wind blowing was mere background noise.

Your fingers were numb.

Leaning back to feel your back touching cool wood, you closed your eyes and tried to hold back tears.

'Focus on something else' you thought.

Perhaps knowing your surroundings would help.

The air smelled like pine trees. Made sense.

For some reason though, you could see some ketchup packets carelessly thrown on the snow.

*oh My friken… FRISK SNAP OUTTA IT FOR CHRIST SAKES*

What..- Where HOW?

*You want me to move you? Because I can make you feel it all as well.*

Oh.

'Nope no thanks bye..'

You got up briskly, rubbing your arms in a frantic attempt to regain body heat, and whatever life was still in them. Jogging in small circles, you did a few jumping jacks and other small exercises to keep you warm.

You saw a shiny glint out of the corner of your eye. It came from a nearby bush.

You walked towards it, and it turned out to be a **camera lens**.

It focused on you and stilled, with a red hue.

 **You were being watched.**

You promptly pulled it out of the bushes and threw it as hard as you could.

But nothing happened.

It stayed, shaken, but practically unharmed.

You got a snowball and packed it on the lens, hoping to block it from watching you.

You weren't really photogenic. You held it under your arm and wondered where to dispose it.

You glanced back at the ketchup packets. The tomato label had a small star on it.

*stars stand for magic here. All food in the underground is made of magic and water, magic being key for all monster nutrition. Remember, ya gotta eat too. Monster food can fix your HP, but you need actual nutrients as well. If I were you I would take some pine needles.*

'EW'

*Take em or die. It is incredibly rare to find some real food down here girlie.*

'…I'm only doing this because I'm allergic to anything that involves an 'ouch'"

you grabbed the two packets, ready to throw them at the nearest trash can, and very reluctantly, you got a few twigs of pine needles.  
*Wait, look at it closer. I want to see if it's the poison kind.*

'Wait some of these are POISON?!'

*hmm.. Not this kind. I remember I read that all Pines are edible, but All yews are deadly. This is anything but a yew.*

'Be glad I trust you Ghostie. Blech.'

You took an experimental nibble of one of the pokey needles. It tasted like how it smelled; green.

*Very descriptive. 10 out of 10.*

'shush.'

To be more descriptive, it tasted like a watered-down grass and lettuce smoothie. But it was solid and small.

How did monsters survive on only magic and water, though?

*Simple. Just how humans have nutrients to support their physical body, monsters have different strands of magic. It is woven into food with other types to create basic nutrition for them. Monsters do not have physical bodies, ya' know. So when they eat monster food, it stabilizes their forms and hydrates them as well, making their physiques more possible to use magic. If not, well… They would die the moment they try using it.*

Whoa.

*They have very little matter, so they turn into dust when they die, having all of their magic burn away, evaporating the water in their system.*

* * *

Walking down the snowy road, you saw a large piece of tree bark. It was very intimidating in size, and it was too heavy to carry. Plus, it was too thick to have any good purpose.

One of the ends were lifted up though, so you stuffed the pine needles in one of your pockets and looked at it.

You put the camera next to you, packing some more snow on the lens, before looking at the log once more.

When you lifted a corner in curiosity, a family of spiders looked up at you.

You tried not to cringe in disgust. But you offered them a friendly smile, at least.

"at… at LAST! WE ARE FREE FROM THIS ICY HELL! TO THE RUINS MY BRETHEREN!"

*Oh. My. GOD.*

You could imagine ghostie grabbing the mind-covers already.

Out of the log came spiders galore, all in a single file line towards the ruins. You cleared a small path for them to follow as well, all of them walking underneath the door.

They were still cheering through the cold.

Lucky.

Looking at them closer, they all had small brown rags and torches. Perhaps they were re-enacting medieval themed plays?

You felt like they were serious though.

There was another spider shivering horribly. Its legs were curling up as it tried to convince its limbs to move it. Leaving the log stuck open with a stick, you ran to the spider and picked it up.

You didn't feel as grossed out.

Cupping your hands to preserve its warmth, you sent it to the door gently. It thanked you for what seemed like 3 hours, and you noticed that all of the spiders had six legs, not eight.

They also felt like fuzzy pebbles.

You liked spiders a bit more now.

When the last spider came out, holding multiple baby spiders, and shouting like how generic moms do on car rides, you dropped the log and shivered some more.

They walked out in 5 minutes, but it felt like an hour.

Rubbing your hands and giving them warm puffs of air, you gave yourself two pats on the cheeks, and continued on.

You looked up to see no sky, but a ceiling full of stalactites.

They were glazed with frost, but the more you looked, the closer they looked to the ground.

The ceiling was also full of iridescent crystals that shone like the night sky.

*The underground used to be just the ruins. But in the legends, someone named BattleRock Gerson carved it with only his razor-sharp shell encrusted with Bortz.

He was helped by other strong monsters, who all helped with the detail work, but they could only go deeper because of the surface barrier.

If it weren't for Gerson, the monsters would only have gotten up to that bridge in the distance over there. I hear they reached lava.

They all used their magic to create different habitats for the monsters here, and that's how the underground was born, I guess.

They also hit a huuuge waterspout somewhere, and that was waterfall. *

'Waterfall?'

*The king is horrible at names.*

Even though the king was your last enemy, he sounded so… silly.

*He is anything but silly. But, I think we might be able to meet Gerson.*

'Cool! I hope we can!'

*Me too! I never got to see him when I was ali—never mind.*

'Tsun.'

*Dobe.*

'gasp'

Your mental conversation ended, and only then you remembered to keep moving. So, you picked up the camera, and walked towards the nearing bridge.

That is, until you heard an ungodly snap behind you.

Turning around quickly, now intimidated, you saw that the thick bark had snapped. You walked over to

see it again, and surely enough, it was practically shattered.

You felt yourself pale in fear. Your brain was already sending spurts of adrenaline to your limbs for a rushing start against whatever was to come.

Walking forward yet again, you saw a bridge in the distance. You were almost there.  
'Just think about going home. I can do it..!'

You were already at the edge of the bridge…

But then you couldn't move.

Your body suddenly grew 10 times heavier, you felt the weight and struggled to stand. It was horrible, terrifying, and you squeaked a bit in surprise.

You felt the chain squeezing you slightly already. Focusing all your will to cover your mouth, you heard something walk behind you.

'was this.. what Toriel meant? I'm dead. Ghostie we are dead…! Dead I tell you!'

*We're fucked, Frisk.*

That was the first time you heard her curse. Scolding her was last on your list right now.

The sound of snow crunching behind you came closer.

You felt your heart beating faster.

Closer..

You felt your stomach sink to your feet.

And **CLOSER**.

Death is coming, and its right behind you.

 ***Ohgodohgodohgod**.*

Until it stopped directly behind you.

You felt its gaze burning holes into your skull.

And it spoke.

" **Human.** "

You could tell he was a guy, because whoever he was, he had a very dark and gruff voice. He reminded you of your principal. Scary as can be.

" **Don't you know how to greet a new pal?** "

You squeaked again. Oh Friken Fruk. You coughed a bit this time, blood seeping down your chin, still concealed by your palm.

You are dead. You wiped off a bit of it using the inside of your thick autumn sweater. Nobody could know your weakness, especially someone who is possibly an enemy.

 **"Turn around and shake my hand, you thief.** "

The gravity was decreased, but it was still there. You couldn't run, so you complied.

Turning around, all you saw was a shadowy figure. You couldn't really see what he looked like, because he had his hood on.

You shakily offered your hand, keeping another over your mouth. Your entire arm was trembling horribly.

You get scared too easily, but who wouldn't be afraid in a situation like this?

Then, he took your hand. It felt really hard and bumpy, and it buzzed with a terrifying aura and fierce warmth.

And all you heard was a-

"PBBBBBBBBTGTHHHBBBTHHEEeeeeeeee"

He didn't.

He DIDN'T.

He literally pranked you with a whoopee cushion after threatening you.

*WELL THEN.*

The whoopee cushion kept on spouting fart sounds until it ended four seconds later.

The gravity was gone by now.

"Heheh… The old whoopee cushion in the hand trick. Its ALWAYS funny. What you did to that poor camera wasn't very cool though, kid."

His voice wasn't as dark and sounded casual. How could he be casual in a moment like this?!

Looking up, you saw your assailant.

He.

Was.

A.

SKELETON.

He had black and white track shorts on, a puffy blue sweater/jacket with big pockets, and weirdly enough, he had floppy socks on with two pink slippers.

Death has come to you and wants to reap your soul with a whoopee cushion.

You didn't feel your face moving from the "Scared out of my mind" face. But he continued.

"Anyways, you're a human right?"

*Shit.*

You didn't even remember to reprimand Ghostie.

"That's hilarious. I'm Sans. Sans the skeleton."

You slowly backed away.

He noticed.

" **Anyways** " His grin grew wider, but the tension was so thick someone could slice it in a satisfying video compilation.

*I'm gonna ask you about that later Frisk, when I'm not pissing my mind pants.*

'off the furniture. I worked hard for it to become a mind reality.'

" **You might be wonderin' why I'm here, kid.** "

You felt scared again.

"I'm actually supposed to be on watch for **humans** right now." He smiled a bit more. How could his face stretch so much? Its made of bone, isn't it?

You felt yourself back away further.

"But….Y'know… I don't really care about capturing anybody."

You didn't believe him.

"Now, my brother, Papyrus, he is a human-hunting **FANATIC**."

You backed away once more.

His grin grew wider.

Fear crept closer, its slimy grasp inching towards your neck.

"Actually, I think that's him over there."

He pointed to the direction where you were backing away from.

"I have an ide-"

You ran.

You ran to the bridge and dashed through, dropping the camera into the dark chasm for less weight. You were breathing heavily, and you barely noticed that you passing a bent lamp, two large snowballs, and a station. That was all you saw before running into a hard figure.

"SANS! IT HAS BEEN A TWO WEEKS AND YOU HAVE NOT RECAli— AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

You felt soft fabric brush your nose, and for some reason you were comforted. You hugged whatever you ran into. It was warm and welcoming. You didn't want to let go.

"Uh… Kid?" You heard Sans' voice from behind you.

It reminded you of grandma.

You hugged it tighter.

"nnyeH?"

Wait.

'Nyeh?"

 **WAIT.**

What were you hugging?

"NYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEH?!"

You coughed abruptly, but the sound was nothing compared to the megaphone above you.

Iron was a familiar taste since you came down here. Hopefully you had your inhaler.

The soothing pain reliever worked wonders after a small mess up. You forgot about it in the Ruins, since it was such a change.

But, now that you remembered about the long-forgotten medicine, you decided to focus on what was happening.

Ghostie was muttering.

*huh. They have inhalers for that now?*

'Hm?'

*Wow I didn't know that the new season of "my large horse by Fasbro" is on again.*

"SANS! WHAT IS THIS TINY MONSTER HUGGING ME FOR? *GASP!* IM POPULAR!"

The voice was enough to make your ears bleed. You looked up at the source to find a spine, a costume, and a weird bony face staring at you from four feet above you.

He looked to be about 8'5. HOW COME EVERYONE IS TALLER THAN YOU?

He wore a strange outfit that reminded you of a muscle suit, in a way. He had tights covering his spine and legs, leaving only his arms exposed, with his pants barely covering his tight-clad pelvis. His pants looked like a bowl, painted blue with a gold rim. His top, however, was a bubble-like shape, and had writing on it.

(FUTURE ROYAL GUARD PAPYRUS!)

*Nopenopenopenopenope too much I cant nope.*

"uh.. Paps,"

This was 'Papyrus'? You were screwed.

"I think that's a human."

You glared at sans. He grinned and shrugged with one arm.

You hated how he reminded you of Nala.

"WHAT? THIS TINY FEEBLE, CHUBBY THING-"  
'RUDE!' You signed in protest.

"IS A HUMAN? SANS I DID IT! I FINALLY CAUGHT A HUMAN! NOW I WILL BE ABLE TO JOIN THE ROYAL GUARD!"

You stopped hugging 'Papyrus.'

He looked distraught.

"SANS! MY HUMAN FAN IS NOT HUGGING ME ANYMORE! WHAT DO I DO?"

"I dunno, Paps. Try capturing them with your amazing puzzle skills."  
'Puzzle skills?'

"GOOD IDEA! GLAD I THOUGHT OF IT!"

Papyrus faced you yet again, and this time, he had a triumphant, yet transparent face on.

"HUMAN! I SHALL TRIAL YOU WITH MY AMAZING PAPROWESS!"  
Huh? Sans and 'Pap' are night and day. One tall, one short. One scary, another adorable, one with a lot exposed, another almost entirely covered in a fluffy jacket/sweater.

"BE PREPARED FOR PUZZLES, JAPES, MORE PUZZLES AND JAPES! AND MY SPECIAL ATTACK!: PASTA!"

*Oh my god he is precious.*

"Nice plan, bro."

Papyrus pointed to you, holding one hand on his hip and taking a deep breath.

You walked a meter away from him to prevent deafness.

*Good idea.*

"FIRST, YOU WILL PARTAKE IN MY ABSO-POSITIVELY-LUTELY HARD YET SOLVABLE JAPES! THEN, YOU WILL BE CAPTURED! THEN, YOU WILL BE DELIVERED TO THE CAPITAL VIA UNDYNE, THEN…"

Papyrus hesitated, and looked to his side sheepishly, a hint of pink shining on his cheekbones. How?

"THEN….. I don't know what happens next."

"BUT! THEN I WILL BE IN THE ROYAL GUARD! I WILL BE LAVISHED AND NOTICED! MONSTERS WOULD GASP AT MY ARRIVAL! I WILL BATHE IN KISSES EVERY MORNING! I… WILL.. BE…. POPULAR!"

He suddenly got two massive cartoon eyes. His expression was incredible.

"NOW TINY HUMAN, BE PREPARED FOR WHAT YOU WILL FACE NEXT… ME! SO PUT SOME BACKBONE INTO MY FANTASTICAL PUZZLES! NYEHHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHE"

He stormed off, a massive amount of smoke coming from the force of his dash. Before walking back to his original spot.

"HEH!"

And speeding off again.

..This time he left a trail of flames.

*This dude defies all odds.*

"I know my jokes are punny, but I didn't think you were expecting a 'punch'line."  
Sans was right behind you yet again. You REALLY needed your inhaler. But this time you didn't feel any gravity.

Turning to face the very intimidating skeleton, who was a foot taller, you listened to what he had to say.

"I dunno why you were so scared anyway. Ya looked like I had three empty holes in my face."

You corrected yourself. The very derpy intimidating skeleton.

"Eh, it's not my business, anyway."

"My bro has been really down lately though, and if you could play along, it would really cheer him up."

'meh.'

"Thanks a million."

You just glared at him. He shrugged it off with a smile.

"But, after everything, my bro is probably going to fight you."

*Say Whaaaaat*

"When that happens, try and remember this. My brother has a 'special attack'. When you see it, just think of Blue stop signs. That's all I can tell ya."

"Also, I didn't know that humans liked clutching their mouths. Is that a sport? A culture?" Said he, before walking towards the ruins.

" **A family tradition?** "

For some reason, it chilled you to the—NOPE  
*Pfft. HE'S CONTAGIOUS*

You walked to where Papyrus went, but looking back, sans wasn't there.

All you saw were footprints that ended halfway towards the ruins door. Maybe he walked towards the forest?

You almost forgot!

Grabbing the ketchup packets in your pocket, you dropped them into the chasm below the bridge.

Just looking at its gaping maw gave you awful memories of your fall. You shuddered, a sinking feeling creeping into your heart.

You looked around and found nobody there. The wind blew once again, chilling your features. How did you forget about your slowly freezing limbs so easily?

Taking your inhaler out of your pockets, you took a deep breath of the painkiller. It soothed your rough and achy throat almost instantly, and eating a mouthful of clean snow, you felt immense relief.

You wiped your bloodied hands on the snow. Then proceeded to cover it thinly with more snow. It just looked like a pink blob.

.

.

.

You made a snowfrisk.

It stared back at you, faceless.

*Hm? Why haven't you given her a face?*

'Humm… I dunno ghostie, how can I even match my amazing and complex expression?'

*Here, lemme try.*

You relaxed yourself for Ghostie to have an easier time into your body, and without further ado, you already found yourself in the mind-room.

Perhaps you could make Rufus move a bit? The orange and brown calico needed at least some movement, after all. The most he was now was a very huggable plushie.

You focused.

Nothing happened.

You practically knit your eyebrows together in utmost concentration.

The only thing that was moving was your face, which was undergoing a facial reconstruction.

You relaxed your face, much to the content of your muscles, and tried without third-world plastic surgery.

….

No matter how hard you tried, it didn't work. So, you made him into a large bean bag chair. It was soft and inviting.

Looking out to the real world, you saw ghostie getting some sticks.

*Don't look!*

Meh.

Waiting for ghostie to finish, you pet Rufus and read the 'books' on the wall.

Turns out you knew less than you thought about "Jewdy Mewdy."

*Done!*

You were yanked out of the mind room, and you took a moment to steady yourself, before looking at

Ghostie's creation.

She drew three lines, two above and one on the bottom, making the most neutral expression

imaginable. She also added some hair, and the sticks were used as two ears.

She also took some pink snow and dapped it on the mouth.

'Wow. I DON'T EVEN LOOK LIKE THAT!'

*Suuuuure you don't.*

Huffing in frustration, you walked on.

You looked in front of you, to find the camera.

Intact.

Right in front of you.

It wasn't there before.

You were creeped out.

You grabbed it, feeling the cool metal finish.

You were getting ready to dump it yet again, but.. perhaps this was fate?

It had different buttons on it, too.

There were a few in particular that caught your eye.

[Defrost] [Change mode] [disconnect from main]

Pressing the second one, the ample screen flashed a small warning.

 **{WARNING: Please defrost device before proceeding}**

Well, some mysterious force gave it to you, so you might as well listen to it.

Pressing the defrost button, warm steam escaped the bulky device, warming up the frosted screen and your chilly fingers almost immediately.

[Defrost ended. You may proceed.]

*You should keep this, Frisky.*

'I suppose. Ah well. I guess ill check the other buttons.'

Okay then. You pressed the disconnect button, since you were almost positive that the person was still watching you.

And lastly, you pressed the change mode butto-

The camera escaped your hands with a leap, suddenly flying with a propeller and two exhausts.

A small remote control dropped into your hands.

This reminded you of Joey's brother; he did many things with 'drones' that gave him money.

Only this was so much cooler.

You played with the flying camera, whishing it above the trees and looking at the underground from above. There were some small monsters playing around, and frolicking in the snow.

You continued before bringing it down to see any other modes.

It morphed with a whirring sound, changing into a normal tourist camera. Cool!

You hung it around your neck. It was small and light, plus, you could take photos for grandma to see later!

You took photos of the Snow Frisk, the door, yourself, the bridge, the ceiling, the forest, and even the log. It had mice this time, huddled around a fire.

You opened it, and they berated you for letting the cold in.

Turns out they were playing gin-rummy.

Hanging the camera back on your neck, you kept it with you like a good luck charm.

You checked your photos briefly, before zooming in on your neck. The tattoo was barely covered. You deleted that photo.

Standing up and rubbing yourself because of the cold, you ran towards the direction Papyrus dashed to.

*Knowing that you can soon go to your only family, it fills you with DETERMINATION.*

You lost your stamina from so much running very shortly, so you had to stop and catch your breath.

*Hey Frisk?*

'Yes Ghostie?'

*Why did sans remind you so much of Nala? Isn't she your tormentor?*

'Nala acted worse and worse, until she became horrible. I think its because of something I did.'

*Huh?*

'She is hemophobic.'  
*That's still no reason to torture you like that!*

' **You don't know anything ghostie**. '

*… *

Ghostie stopped talking.

You didn't mind.

You stopped for a bit to regain stamina, looking to the side and watching the snow-covered trees. Strangely enough, there were stalagmites very well mixed between the trees. You walked closer to see.

The stalagmite was large and thick, and it was covered in windows, with one big door and a red carpet flowing out from underneath.

You took a photo.

Some mice came, one with a purple flowing dress you could only find on a small Russian doll, and the others with tiny cameras.

You took another photo. She could be a celebrity!  
There was also a penthouse at the very top, made with a one-foot box of wood. It was painted and had insulation poking out of the cracks. It had a large window and the whole thing reminded you of (some dog… you think his name was) Mr. Beanbody's penthouse.

You looked through the window.

A mouse was bathing and singing erratically. It danced and shook its tail, very caught in the singing mood.

You knew it was wrong.

But…

The whole thing was so bizarre you couldn't help watching.

Then it swayed its head like Melvis Parsley, until it saw you peeping, that is.

It covered what was totally covered in fur, screaming its lungs out, and out came a buff mouse with a shaved spot on its cheek. The shaved spot had a heart/snake tattoo.

The whole scene reminded you of Tom and jerry.

You speed-walked away, whistling.

And then made a break for it out of there.

The mice were having trouble climbing out of your footsteps.

…

This was usually the time where Ghostie made fun of your weight,

But..

Nobody came.

All you heard was an echo when you called her.

You felt colder than the wind in snowdin.

'Ghostie.. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap like that.!'

Nothing happened.

'So..! Please come back!'

But nobody came.

'I'm all alone without you…'

But nobody came, and nothing happened.

'..please…'

*Well I would be a douchebag if I let you suffer like that. I totally don't forgive you though.*

You wanted to hug her and slap her at the same time. But you decided to hug yourself.

*Jeez. You can't go 3 minutes without me, huh? I give ya a bit of alone time and you are already breaking 40 dams. More like Damns, amiright?*

'Pfft. Dorkie. Also! No cursing in my head!'

*But damn isn't a.. AAAA F—iretruck it.*

'Gud.'

'ha..ha.. I thought that you left me.. or didn't like me anymore. I was scared.'

*Frisk….*

*Ya idiot!*

Huh? What happened to the emotional scene?

*I can't leave even if I wanna. I'm stuck to ya forever, mate.*

You felt sad for ghostie and happy for yourself. You selfish fatty.

*Nah. Anyone would want at least some sort of emotional support. Sorry for leaving you alone, frisk.*

'Its okay. I' m sorry for snapping at you.'

*No prob. And also the mice are still having trouble climbing the holes you made.*

'Pfft.'

That's ghostie for ya.

You walked out of the forest, getting hit by a few roots and tripping face first into the snow.

Reaching the familiar clearing, you looked in front of you to find a yellow star. You tapped it immediately.  
[Frisk- 12:03

Snowdin- Opening. ]

[Stay determined.]

Walking forward, you saw a small split in the road, so you took a left.

The first thing you smelled was the peculiar funk only a river could produce. Then you heard the calm rush of water. You went closer and followed the sound, and all you saw was a cave wall, aligned with crystals, and rushing water on the bottom.

You took various photos. There was a fishing pole as well, so you decided to reel it in. It was fixed to the ground, tons of ice coating the handle, so it was hard to reel in.

But you were filled with **determination**.

*I Swear, you get determined for the weirdest things.*

'Shush. I'm focused, don't judge.'

You finally reeled it in to encounter a note.

'Call me! Here's my number! ***-***-****'

*I wouldn't if I were you.*

'You're no fun, ghostie.'

You called the number, and all you heard was a nasal breathing sound.

"H-hey.. My name is SnowJosh-"

C̩͎̠̫͇͖̩͉͗͑̈̈͡Ȏ͔̩̮̜͓̺̟͙͈̑̿͋͐̚͜M̛̫̲̟͚̜̯͈̻̍̐̌̑̄̈́̑͗͠Ė̷͚͕͇̺͉̤̩̜͒̐͗̀̒̌̾͢ͅ J̨͕͇̼̙̬̺̒͗͌̅͌͛́̉̆͟O̸̢̥̝͈̼̬̮̹̪̾̆́́͋̊͟͡Į̵̧̡͍̻̘̖̼̲̐̾̓̓͆̉̚̚͜N̢̡̰̲̋͗͂̓͘͟͜͝ T̳̙͓̖̣̎̒͆́̌̈͊̎̉̕͜H̹͇͉̭̳̤̉̂̓̓͛̓̕̚̕͢͢͟Ȩ̤̣͉͚͉͓̫̮̦̓̾͐̑̒͂̕͠ F̢̩̝͖͎̱͇͊̃̾̋̍͐Ȕ͎̣̦̣͔̇̒͗̕͠ņ̴̜̺͓̫͓̖̍̓̾͑́͆͐̾̀͟͡N̲̬̫̳̗̟͈͂͑̍̄̅̐̈̆Ů̴̢͉̜̙͕̣̮̆͆̓͋̉̍̿̚̚͟Ņ̭͓̣̻̥͔̄̍͑͗̄́̉N̨̺͇̟͈̮̎̐͊̃͒̆̓͑͒͞ͅ-̰͉̞̮͈̝́̈̍̄̈̚͟͝

.

You hung up.

You dropped the note.

You kicked the fishing pole into the water.

And you made ghostie take control, hiding in the confines of your mind.

You were too young for this shiiitake... chicken.

*Jeez. You're such a crybaby..*

' has stopped responding. Please burn the phone, and contact grandma on a different line. Thank you.'

Ghostie walked down the road and stopped at a weird chest, resting her/your arm on it.

*Huff… huff.*

'what's wrong ghostie?'

*I'm.. hah.. not really used to managing a body, ya know. Its hard. Physical activity is harder. I'm used to being weightless, and muscles are too hard to manage. Especially with your physical prowess. Here.*

She dumped the body on you. But, you didn't take control right away, either.

So you were both in the same room.

*U-uh….. Hi?*  
You didn't know what to make of this situation.

''hi..?"

How come you could talk?

It felt pretty liberating. Perhaps because nobody was connected to your body as of now?

*Bruh. Get out.*

Ghostie looked pale, with a rosy complexion. Her hair, height, heck, even clothes were similar. She seemed a bit flustered.

You walked over.

*I'm serious frisk.*

You looked deep into her eyes.

Ghostie was redder than before.

*What the heck are you doing Fri-*

You poked her.

*what.*

You kept poking her. She felt like dry ice, but with a sort of warmth.

*stop.*

You kept poking her.

*STAHP IT. JEEZ.*

She pushed you back into your body, throwing you out of the mind room, and soon you found your senses back in full throttle.

If only your nose wasn't clogged with snow.

'Cold.'

*You weren't even trying with that one.*

You got up and walked on.

*Wait.*

You stopped.  
*See this chest? It is supposed to store your items. It keeps them no matter where you are, too. It's a dimensional box! Tm.*

*How do you use it? you just put your items in!*

You pulled out the stuff you had on hand.

INVENTORY:

Pine Branch

Pine Needle

Camera

Butts. Pie

Phone

Inhaler

Photo of grandma.

.

.

.

.

Butts pie.

You didn't care. If it had butts, then it was a tasty butt.

*Ew. You nasteh.*

You kept it with you.

You dropped your other items though, like your pine needles. You dropped two handfuls but kept the branch.

You saw something that caught your eye in the box, though.

*Tough glove. 5 Atk 0 Def. A worn pink leather glove. For five-fingered folk.*

You took it. Putting it on your hand, it covered whatever bloodstains you couldn't scrub off with snow.

It also made you feel.. brave..

You saw Sans and Papyrus in the distance.

Walking up to them, the two were in deep conversation about making pasta.

"SO AS I WAS SAYING ABOUT UNDYNE.."

Then he gazed at you.

He looked at sans.

Sans looked back.

He looked, he looked back,

He looked, he looked back,

He looked, he looked back,

He looked, he looked back,

He looked, he looked back,

He looked, he looked back,

He looked, he looked back,

At some point, they were spinning.

Papyrus drilled a hole into the iced floor.

Then he fluttered out. Sans made a small dent, at most.

"HUMAN! I SEE YOU HAVE ARRIVED! I AM VERY EXCITED BECAUSE VERY SOON, I WILL BE… POPULAR, POPULAR, POPULAR! NYEHEHEHEH!"

Oh boy.

"NOW, CONTINUE ON, IF YOU DARE! I SHALL PREPARE THE JAPES! SANS, STALL THEM!"

He dashed off and jumped as well.

Sonic was jealous.

"Well, that went well."

'It didn't, Sans.'

"Don't sweat it kid," he winked "I'll keep an 'eyesocket' out for ya."

You walked away.

Hopefully he didn't keep any eye out for you.

* * *

Hi guys! I hope you enjoyed this chapter of DC, and have an amazing day! Leave a comment saying what you liked as well, I love responding to them!

also, please check out Howlingtale and Fangs of the wolf by Comycat1987! Her stories rock!


	7. Brave ones Foolish ones

**Hey dudes and dudettes or genderless milk duds! How are you today? Tell me how you feel! The following chapter will be about many different characters, after all, UNDERTALE is a tale, not just based on main characters. Sorry about the massive wait, I had a lotta writer's block.. Hehe.. ^°^**

 **(Surprise, it wasn't just about Frisk)**  
 **For some reason I didn't like the way Nap's part turned out, but I hope I can fix this in the future. There will be a lot coming for him, after all!**  
 **Hint, Waterfall will be BIG.]**

* * *

Napstablook floated back to his home in waterfall aimlessly, stopping whenever he lost motivation to do so.

'I… I made a new friend…. Haha…'

This one didn't seem fake.

No smiles ridden with pity.

No false expressions.

Will they leave him like the others?

He stopped by some dummies on the way.

"Hello Bapstablook, How was your day?"

The dummy replied with nothing.

All of Napstablook's cousins had been bored. They wanted to become corporeal, they wanted to feel.

They all entered dummies, and there they stayed. No talking, no interaction, nothing.

Napstablook felt a surge of depression rise and make his metaphorical limbs heavy. What did he want to do again?

…probably not worth it, anyway.

Laying down on the coarse ground in waterfall, he let his mind wander freely, it was better than holding it in.

He then proceeded to feel like garbage, train of thought breaking in ways that could only appear in the nightmares of a monster with OCD.

Centuries before the war, monsters were much sturdier, having more mass and eating food that had no need to be infused with magic. They had very little lifespans though, dying at thirty.

The physical mass was too much for their beings, so due to the process of evolution, monsters evolved to become mainly composed of magic, living up to centuries at a time.

Boss monsters even gained immortality.

Those who wished to keep existing and clung on to their souls as soon as they died, though, lived.

Even though they felt the overbearing pain of physical matter ripping from magic.

Even though they felt their souls leaving their clumped body matter.

They held on and became ghosts. There were very few though.

The first one to do so was Mad Mapsta, living on and feeling enraged that he was the only one.

Then it was his cousins, many didn't make it though.

Then, it was Hapstablook. He was much older, after all.

Napstablook, wishing to go to not feel alone, went as well.

After all, he had no family now.

What did he look like before dying? After so long he forgot…

 **His death wasn't natural though.**

 **If only he weren't a ghost.**

Hap and Nap were inseparable. They depended on each other for support, to keep each other living. To keep each other from fading away.

Like yin and yang, some said.

He felt alive when next to his cousin, and he never wanted to go.

The closer you are to the surface of the mountain, the more wails you hear.

Those are not human wails.

Fallen monsters cling onto the barrier as if it were a spider's web.

That's why spreading the dust of a monster is important, it helps them get passed on to something happy, keeping them in a form of stasis.

Nap didn't want either though.

Hap disappeared one day, without even leaving a call. Napstablook tried calling, yet nothing happened. He tried phasing to the home of his beloved relative, but it was sealed.

He felt like disappearing, but he couldn't.

Something kept him in that form.

The hope of finding Hapstablook?

The wish to see the surface?

He didn't know.

Other dummies told him to stay busy. They went into dummies the moment they could find a body, though it failed.

Apparently it was made by the new royal scientist.

Wait… why was there a new one? The old one was..

Ç̸̗͍̩͔̙̱̈̍̐͑͌͆͘͟͡A̗̣͈͕̟̮̱͌̿̎͐͌̓̇͞N̶̢̢̢̯̤̳̪͊̈̔̄̆͐͊̓̔̕͜ Y̷̦̻͈͕̱̠͖̟͙̘̅͛͂̇͂̕͝O̧̭̣̩͉̿̅̐̐̕͟͟͞͝U̬̬͔̫̗͋̋̀̒͠ H͖̟̘̤͚͚͇̞͖̓̃̔͋̍͛̽̃ͅE̴̛̻̥̙̩̭͌̿̿͂͜͢Â̡̫̺͔̠̂͛̇͡Ŗ̵̛̭̳̹̞͎̟̌̀͛̈̃̃̋ M̡̛̝̞̲̗̂̎̍̓̋͠Ẹ̴̮̘͉͈̐́͒̌͌̈́̚͘͝ͅ

.

Thinking about that hurt Napstablook's head. He thought of other things.

The dummies that were out were supposed to be perfect bodies, but his fellow ghosts were bonded to them without fully integrating into the defect dolls, becoming unable to speak, walk, or think properly.

Enough interaction would help them, but who would pay attention to a dummy?

Well, the one in the ruins got some control, at least.

Undyne's dummy though, was really Yapstablook, he was pretty masochistic. He could leave at any time yet stayed for more.

Napstablook kept himself busy, like Yap said, focusing on his snail farm/race, and music.

And then, while feeling like garbage, Shyren was playing a tape.

He phased through his home, speeding up to Shyren and asking the name of it.

It reminded him of Hapsta..

"Oh, You didn't hear of him? This track is from Mettaton! He's the best!"

Shyren slithered away, and all Napstablook could think of.. was his new motivation to live.

That's part of the reason why he hasn't disappeared at least.

Thinking of his friend gave him hope.

 **He could do better..**

* * *

Flowey was never really a tyrant. With absolute boredom, he decided to try everything he could.

He read every book.

He talked to everybody.

He _**knew**_ everybody.

So then why?

Why did he still feel empty?

There had to be something he didn't do yet…!

Right?

Nothing came to mind.

All he had was a void in his heart, making him question how far he would stretch his morals for enjoyment.

So, he made another run. And another, and another. Some scientist disappeared, and now the short skeleton was already making his life hell.

So, he made another run. By now he had done hundreds, but who cares? Nobody remembered, right?

That's how he had his face impaled by a series of femurs.

His brother.. cost him quite a few runs.

It wasn't fun to play with his toy anymore.

Pacifism was okay, but even when he got to the surface, he reset anyway.

Nothing was real.

He let his morals break. But not every book was burned. Not every time, at least.

It was still not enough.

Other times he wished to die.

He just woke up, sprouted in a bed of buttercups, with an aching, clawing void in his stem.

He had to go on!

He killed them all.

He killed the monsters.

He felt nothing.

He spared them all.

He felt nothing.

He killed a few.

Nothing..!

He helped Alphys, kept a smile on..!

 **NOTHING**!

He tried to get a soul, it melted in his core, maybe he needed more?

Yet he couldn't.

It was like there was a wall preventing him from obtaining the souls.

He cried.. He felt nothing. Nothing alleviated his crushing sentiment.

No matter how loud he screamed.

He sobbed and wailed, and wished to never have done that accursed plan..

Mom Toriel came..

She didn't know him.

And he felt nothing..

But.

 **RAGE**.

There was an endless stream of genocide and neutral runs, names he dubbed to two of the three main timeline variations.

The skeleton didn't bother fighting him afterwards.

Flowey left him a nice present- a scarf full of dust.

Flowey killed Asgore.

He felt nothing more.

And when he did everything..

All he was left with was the endless cacophony of emptiness, white noise ringing in every fiber of his petals, and him shrieking in frustration.

He did another genocide.

This time, he wanted to feel anything, even if it were a bad one.

So that's how he ended up with dust piles with cute little names on them.

He wrote them himself.

 _Carving the names in the dirt next to every pile with his thorns._

He was never really creative in nicknames, but his favorite was "Smiley trash bag".

There were some tears next to some though, but the names only spelled out "Oriel and "Gor"

He felt nothing of course.

He tried to go to Chara's grave. He dug up his friend.

This was his last chance of feeling something.

He dug it up wishing to feel.

He was numb to everything.

This was his last chance at feeling anything resembling compassion.

All he saw was a long-decomposed body, worms flowing out from under the worn green and yellow cardigan.

He looked at _Chara_ 's neck. Broken chain tattoo printed on, with the locket he gave her so long ago.

It was rusted and old, but the words were still discernable.

"BEST FRIENDS FOREVER"

The locket had a faded picture of the prince and her, holding a bouquet of flowers.

And he felt nothing.

He had his own locket, of course. His photo was scratched out though, scraped out frantically, _angrily_.

It never came back, even with resets.

This time, he just wanted to feel anything.

He went to Hotland. He knew he could reset manually, but he didn't.

And he felt nothing.

' _I really am a c-crybaby… huh,_ _chara_ _?'_

Fat tears evaporated at the heat of the lava below.

 _He cradled_ _Chara_ _'s necklace. The back of the photo just showed childish handwriting, saying the following:_

" _I Love you Azzy. From Sis."_

 _This was when she died.._

 _He looked at her body yet again._

 _And he felt grief._

He jumped.

Only to be born again.

He gave up. The seventh child had come.

Now he could finally become god. He could go back in time and get his sibling back.!

But he couldn't.

"Ha…"

He looked at his save file.

[No Access.]

"Hahaha.."

He tried to summon some determination at his side.

But what was it worth?

Maybe… just maybe… he could die once and for all…

There was nothing here anyway.

He felt nothing.

" **HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA** "

He snapped.

And nobody came.

Maybe this one will be different.

* * *

You looked around. There was yet another clearing in front of you. It was intimidating, thinking about facing Papyrus soon. What he lacked in risk, he made up for in utmost tenacity.

He astonished you and also kinda made you wanna cry.

Same with Sans, only Sans made you wanna slap him and cry, then cry about hand injury after slapping him.

*Yep, ill admit, he is a prick.*

Papyrus is a good guy though. Maybe he just wants friends?

Friends...

* * *

 _She looked, her friend looked back, and smiled._

' _I won't let them hurt you anymore. Count on it!'_

' _Y..Yeah..'_

* * *

*…*

*….-Risk snap out of it!*

' _Hm oh what?'_

*Jeez. You are such a pain sometimes.*

' _If only ghosts had neosporin.'_

*Say whut?*

' _Nevermind_.'

Walking through the bent clearing, you followed the icy road and looked to see…

A cardboard box.

It looked pretty fun!

You looked at the sign.

[YOU OBSERVE THIS AMAZING CRAFTSMANSHIP… WHO COULD HAVE MADE IT? NONE OTHER THAN THE GRREAT PAPYRUS! WITH HIS AMAZING PAPROWESS, HE WILL SOON BE PART OF THE ROYAL GUARD! NYEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEH]

It was then filled with passionate laughter.

The sign had a little fold with a down arrow.

Pulling on it, it had a mini pop out sign on the side.

[HEH]

*So cool.*

You took a photo. This would go in your memoir.

You jumped inside of the box, and inside, there were shelves! This guy is the master of cardboard houses, you supposed.

The shelves had multiple bones stacked neatly on the box, and the inside had no snow.

Surprisingly, it had a pillow on the cold rock, and even a space heater!

(Though it wasn't connected to anything, you appreciated the concern.)

Perhaps this could be your place to stay in tonight?

*Nope. I will not condone that.*

'Aww man! Why not? You be ruining my fun, ghostie'

You pouted, cuteness levels at the maximum.

' _DOKI DOKI ATTACK!'_

It had no effect on ghostie.

*FOOL! MY MYSTERIOUS AURA CUTS THAT BY 99.9999999999%*

' _GASP_ '

*NOW TIME FOR MY SPECIAL ATTACK.. uh..*

' _Gasp..?'_

*uh….. I dunno a name.*

' _How about.. uh… Cool.. erm… cool cut blaziken kunai pow pow?'_

*You thought long and hard about that one, huh?*

*Kay, whatever it was you said.*

' _Nooooooo!_ '

The pillow was extremely comfortable though. Using your camera's defrost option, you relaxed for a bit in the heat.

You were incredibly tired from everything. All of the battle, all of the curse horribleness, all of the walking… it took a toll on your chubs.

Plus you were super hungry.

Eating a few pine needles just made you hungrier though, so you decided to eat some monster candy.

Not the spider donut though…

NEVER.

You didn't even notice how much you sagged against the cardboard.

The ice held it in place though, so it didn't budge as much.

As soon as you felt toasty, you didn't want to leave.

Just thinking about going into the cold, feeling your toes curl up and your hands feel like raw bone.. it didn't suit you.

*Want me to take charge for a bit?*

' _Yes please. If not I'll stay here forever, probably. Though this can be a pretty good home.'_

*Fine, we can stay here for a bit if we have to stay for the night.*

The ceiling had many different crystals that emanated light. They managed day and night, helping monsters have a basic understanding of it, at least.

It was already getting a bit dark though, so Ghostie took charge and walked out.

You just slept for a bit.

* * *

Looking around, it was pretty cool to be in a body.

To be able to influence the world, to be outside of a 10 Square foot circle of flowers.. it was surreal.

Almost too surreal, actually.

I tripped on my(?) Own feet.

And fell face first on the ground.

Back in my body, I am actually pretty lean.

Buttercups helped me with that.

But in Frisk's case, moving was incredibly difficult, taking into consideration how gluttonous she could be.

She wasn't even that fat! Maybe just 10 pounds over the limit, but still!

I always wondered why obesity was so hard to conquer.

Now I knew why.

Taking a moment to accommodate myself, I marched on.

*You found an IceCap!*

Narration wasn't as fun without an audience, but with such a habit, it would slip out with anything.

"My cap is so great, amiright?"

I decided to cheer him on, but then I cut myself short.

I forgot.

Having a body to care for, I needed to remember Frisk as well.  
This curse is something directly placed on the soul, and it could hurt her as well.

What a pain.

No!

What would frisk do…?

Hm..

Squinting my eyes as much as they could go, I tussled her hair to make it as curly as it was before.

Nevertheless it barely worked.

But I was..

Determined!

It still didn't work.

IceCap was just waiting for his turn, calling other monsters to look at his cap.

They just ignored him, saying that Aaron was more modest.

Well that's just cold.

Ahahahahahaha pun.

Pressing the act button, I complimented him.

My sign language was really rough after so much time…

How did she make such fluid movements?

When I complimented him, I tried saying 'Your cap is amazing!'

But I might have said 'Your crap is amusing!'

So That's how we almost got stabbed by an icicle.

It's a work in progress.

I was pretty tired after, but, with the power of determination, I kept on.

Can't just wake her up. After all, she let me sleep, who am I to take that right?

…

…

….

Yep I wasn't gonna do anymore.

I flopped back into the box clumsily, feeling the plush pillow underneath, and I then went into the reaches of her mind.

She was sleeping on the bean bag chair.

I gently picked her up and threw her out of the classy window, which happened to be the gate to her body.

She was still sleeping.

*Jeez.*

' _Wake me up insideee'_

*Horrible quote by the—HEY WHY WERE YOU AWAKE THE WHOLE TIME ARGH*

*HOW JUST HOW*

'How do you think I got fat? Two words, night, eat.'

*So you trick your granny and eat at night?*

'it doesn't sound cool that way…'

*IT SHOULDN'T.*

* * *

Getting up and out of the box, you went through the clearing.

Walking forward, you saw a sign, as well as one of the posts you found earlier.

[NO MOVING WHATSOEVER, ESPECIALLY HUMANS! *bork*]

That won't do. You had to go on no matter what.

You walked on, to find a station with a dog in it.

He had two daggers, a bandanna, dogtooth print pants, a pink shirt, and oddly enough, he was smoking a dog bone.

The smell of smoke was disgusting, smelling of rotten beef jerky sautéed in fish brains.

You took a photo of it.

"What was that moving? I hate it when people move! Especially if they are humans! If a human moves, ill make sure they never move again! *bork!*"

Oops.

*Doggo is suspicious!*

You decided to walk slower than death itself, which is feat, since sans' normal gait can make a snail impatient. Those snails knew how to get their party on, too.

He summoned a dagger, chucking it at you at a…!

Reasonably paced speed.

It was blue, so taking Sans' shady advice, you stayed still.

It came closer…

Closer…

 **CLOSER** …

Then it passed through you with no incident.

And you felt invincible.

"HUH? It disappeared? How?"

You walked a tiny bit closer, until you were right behind him.

His tail was erect in apprehension.

You pet him.

"WHOAT!? PET? PAT? POT? PEET? IVE BEEN PET! PAT PAT"

Your curiosity got the better of you. You kept on petting him.

"WHAT IS THIS INVISIBLE FORCE THAT IS… PAT PAT PETTTING ME?"

You stopped 5 minutes later. Doggo had given in to the force of cuddles.

"Pet.. pat… matpat… pot…. Gosh I'm going to need some dog biscuits for this."

He got up off of the snow and proceeded to light all of the biscuits in the box, munching a few in the process.

You walked away, feeling happy. His fur was pretty thin and wiry, but it was still pretty cool to touch.

You didn't regret it.

*Sadist.*

' _What's a sadist?'_

*What you are.*

Perhaps it's a compliment?

*uh… Yeah. It's a compliment.*

' _aww.. Thanks!'_

*Don't mention it. Literally.*


	8. A foolish dream

You walked inside of Doggo's station, curious of what it had inside.

It had about twenty boxes of Milk bones… And they smelled very peculiar.

You didn't touch them, and promptly walked out with a very disgusted face.

*They taste even worse, by the way. Don't be like doggo.*

' _Why do you know what they taste like…?'_

*Eheh.. Heh…. Ha…. Because once upon a time It was his birthday and the cookies were bone shaped.*

 _'You poor soul. You poor, poor soul.'_

Ghostie took the opportunity to be as dramatic as ever, doing mock sobs.

*I-I know… But! I will be strong! For senpai!*

You would laugh if it weren't for your peculiar circumstance, so instead you opted for a mental giggle?

How does that even work?

*Eh.*

You walked on and all you saw was a large clearing glazed over with ice.

All of your experiences with ice usually meant being extra careful with grandma.

You shuddered.

But you were determined to go on!

"Sup, Kid."

Your resolve melted quicker than your diet plans after walking into "Just Sugar".

You lost your nerve to sign, instead pointing at him dumbfoundedly with an open gawk.

"That expression is very.. uh.. interesting."

You had to manually close your mouth with your hands and proceeded to sign.

Perhaps a compliment could work?

You wanted to look smart though.. maybe the word ghostie told you could work.

*Hm? W-WAIT FRISK NO DON'T DO IT*

'I know you are a sadist, but you shouldn't scare me like that!'

His round eyelighty thingies turned extremely small.

You felt scared.

He began to sweat nervously.

You felt confused.

And then grossed out.

"Well then. That is certainly not a word that people call me often."

' _Did he think that was flirting? Ewwwww._ '

*UMMMMMM*

"But.. uh.. just be careful in the ice, and.. don't you know what that word means kid?"

'Doesn't it mean that you are a good person?'

He sweat profusely now. Wouldn't he get chilly?

"Where the heck ya even heard that from?"

*Say it and u dies.*

'I heard it from a movie.'

He sighed.

"well then, ill be off. Jus' be careful on the ice."

He walked off to the opposite direction yet again, but you ran to him once more.

'Wait, Mr. Sans!'

"Eh?"

'Don't litter.'

You grabbed his hand and dumped the packets on it.

He looked kind of amused, in a frustrated way.

"Heh."

He stayed in the distance though, so that was still kind of bad.

You walked off to the ice and found a small sign in the middle.

But were you really going to break your hip to read a sign?

You held your chin and sat in the snow that wasn't glazed over.

*Don't you wanna feel the risk of adventure?*

' _Eh_.'

*You're no fun, ya know that?*

'You do it then.'

*Jeezus.*

Ghostie took hold and began to walk over in a confident gait, taking steps with careful measure.

Until she slipped and fell two steps later.

And then she tried again.

And again.

And again.

It was about 30 tries until she slumped and gave up. She made it about five steps in.

*huff.. You try, funsize.*

You had the perfect strategy!

You flopped down on the cold ice and crawled out of the ice.

*THIS IS COUNTERPRODUCTIVE!*

Then when you reached the snow, you took ten steps back.

*Coward.*

And dashed at the ice in.. normal chub speeds.

Still fast for you though.

And then you flopped onto the ice, sliding until you grabbed onto the sign with both arms.

*That was pretty badas—er.. bad-donkey.*

' _I'm just that awesome, hehe.'_

With a huff, you read the sign you both spent 15 minutes to read.

[North: Ice, South: Ice, West: Ice, East: Snowdin town..(And more ice…) Made by snowjosh.]

You twitched.

Instead of screaming though, you opted to gnaw on a monster candy and curl up on the snow.

Ghostie was muttering how you were going to get frostbite, but eh,

 **You were too angry to care about a lost finger.**

This was lost PRIDE!

Ghostie interrupted your manly pride talk and took control of one arm. Which she used to grab snow and shove it in your sweater.

You jolted up immediately, shaking out the snow frantically. You ran in circles and into the middle clearing.

This sucked.

The cold subsided and now you were left with a buzzing tingle from the snow.

..As well as all of the cold acquired in this hellish descent into wonderland.

You reached the clearing, hoping that the same force that gave you the camera once again could give you a space heater.

Hopefully a space heater _that was actually plugged in._

All you saw was a snowman about the same size as you.

"Hello human.. how do you do? I would bow, but I cannot, hehe.."

AND HE WAS FREAKING ADORABLE.

"I know we have just met dear, but could you do me a favor?"

You nodded a bit too enthusiastically; he seemed cheerful.

"I have stayed in this spot for many years, barely anyone can meet me.. but.. can you take a part of me with you? I wish to see the world."

You nodded, and he freed up a small section. It felt cool, but it didn't melt. It was comforting to hold.

"Thank you, human!"

*You took the snowman piece, It feels jolly.*

You shaped it into a small mini snowman, only having two segments, and you put it in your pocket. Thankfully you had cargo pants. Skirts were nice, but they were so inconvenient.

Putting him in one special pocket, he thanked you.

You also took a photo of him. Perhaps he was smiling internally?

You walked down to see sans and papyrus bickering as always.

"SANS, YOU ARE SO LAZY! YOU WERE NAPPING ALL NIGHT!"

"uh.. I think that's called sleeping, bro."

*wow.*

"EXCUSES ARE FOR THE WEAK MINDED! BE LIKE ME!"

"my skull ain't that flexible bro."

"AAAAAAAGH"

They faced you when you were about to walk away.

Crap.

"OH-HO! THE HUMAN ARRIVES! IN ORDER TO STOP YOU, MY BROTHER AND I HAVE CREATED SOME.. PUZZLES!"

You felt cold sweat run down your brow. What puzzles did he mean?

"I THINK YOU WILL FIND THIS ONE.. QUITE 'SHOCKING'! NYEHEHEHEHE!"

He had a sort of scandalized grin that implied he was committing a treacherous act for punning.

"BEHOLD! THE INVISIBLE ELECTRICITY MAZE!"

You shuddered.

*I think I will have to help you with this one.*

"FOR YOU SEE, WHEN YOU TOUCH THE WALLS OF THIS MAZE, IT WILL ADMINISTER A HEARTY ZAP!"

You were prepared to run away, but you were trapped in place yet again. Goodie.

"YOU MAY PROCEED HUMAN!"

You felt the weight alleviate for you to take one step into the maze.

And suddenly you ended up with a burnt skeleton three meters away from you.

"SANS! WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS JAPE?!"

Sans looked at you with a sort of menacing look. He grinned even more.

"Uh.. I think the human has to hold it first."

Oh no.

"AHA! I SEE! THANKFULLY I HAVE FOUND OUT WHY! CATCH, WEIRD HUMAN!"

He threw it on your head with absolute precision.

Too bad it was made of glass, because you soon found yourself on the snow, clutching your head.

"HUMAN? WHAT IS WRONG?"

"SANS I BROKE THE HUMANNN!"

Oh gosh he was crying. He ran through the maze immediately, leaving footprints in the snow.

You had to go.

You got up and rubbed your head once more, for some reason the orb stuck to your head the whole time.

"THIS JAPE IS TOO DANGEROUS, SANS! NEXT TIME WE SHOULD MAKE IT TRANSLUCENT! MEANWHILE THOUGH, I SHALL SAVE THE SMALL HUMAN FROM THIS PUZZLE OF PERIL! NYEH!"

In one fell swoop, he picked you up and held you high over his head. It was amazing to be up to high, but then again..

You were scared out of your mind.

You tried to stay dead limp to avoid slipping out of his grasp.

You even decided to go into the mind room for the time being.

Ghostie just glared at you for your immense fail at anything catch.

She was reading jewdy mewdy.

*Damn, so many plotholes.*

' _Pfft. Want spoilers?_ '

*NO.*  
You whispered into her ear.

 _'The movie was betterrrr'_

*How dare you.*

You looked outside and were finally out of the maze.

You wiggled a bit to get out of his grasp, and he promptly let you down.

You also decided to take off the orb, which was falling off immediately afterwards.

Being in and out of your consciousness was not as easy as the movies said.

It made your head ache like crazy.

So as soon as you got out of papyrus's gloved hands, you felt a sense of vertigo and landed on..

*A snow poff.*

Cute name.

The fluffy snow was refreshing for your head though, so you just flopped your head on it once more, a small sigh escaping your lips.

"WOWIE! I DIDN'T KNOW THAT HUMANS THRIVED IN SNOW!"

"That is a very 'Ice' Fact to know. 'Snow' Kiddin'"

"SANS! I CANNOT BELIEVE YOU SOMETIMES, STOOPING TO SUCH DISGUSTING CHOICES OF WORDPLAY."

"Sorry Bro, I guess I just have too much 'Pun' Sayin' these jokes."

"NYEHHHHHH!"

"BUT, HUMAN! THE NEXT TRIAL WILL NOT BE AS SIMPLE! FOR IT WAS DESIGNED BY MY BROTHER, SANS! NYEH!"

"Yep, It's so hard that it will make you 'skull'k. No 'bones' about it. Id never 'fibula' about such a 'sacrum' tradition. You will want to 'stapes' as soon as you start it. "

*Papyrus storms off, hands up in the universal way of saying 'fuck it'*

 _'No cursing! If you curse too much your teeth will fall out and you will turn into a sailor!'_

*Oh noooo. That sounds sooo real. Oh noes. Oh dear.*

 _'Stahp.'_

You were still laying face down on the snow though.

"Uh.. Kid, I don't know much about.. well, humans, but I think that's not healthy."

*As if he cares about our wellbeing. Here, let me do something real quick.*

Ghostie took control of your arm and did an unfamiliar sign, Sticking up the middle finge—oh.

You took control once more and lowered your arm a bit unnaturally, getting up from the snow.

When you looked at him he looked a bit.. pissed.

He hid it very well though, his Unnatural grin betraying nothing.

"By the way, you see that weird costume he's wearing? He made that a few weeks ago for a costume party. Hasn't taken it off since, calling it his battle body."

He grinned, looking to the side. He looked faker than Marbie dolls.

 **The Ken version**.

"Man, isn't my brother cool?"

You shuddered, the new comparison haunting your thoughts.

You walked away warily, feeling his piercing glare from behind.

It made you feel like you were being scrutinized under a microscope.

You hated those kinds of people.

You crossed a bridge with no bars, walking extremely slow.

One…step…

Just.. one more…

Another.. little.. tiny.. micro..step…

You looked down, seeing rushing water and hard stalagmites protruding from the rapids.

You walked back immediately.

*OH COME ON*

You did not want to become a frisky-pop, and you were never going to.

Even if the bridge was just five feet long.

Ghostie was snickering at your obvious self-conflict.

You saw a star in the corner of the cliff next to you, so you tapped it when sans was not watching.

Oh..? He wasn't there.

Perfect.

And you ran on.

Until you slipped. You slipped through that 5 foot gap, feeling the vertigo crawl over your spine as you fell into the ice cold rapids below.

You hit some rocks, swallowing water and gagging slightly.

But nobody came.

All you saw was a stalagmite before it hit you, pricking the nerves in your spine and making you numb. Your unresponsive body felt nothing, clinging onto the stalagmite like a dead sack of potatoes.

You couldn't think.

What is…

What is.. uh… happen..ing?

*FRISK OH MY GOD.. UH.. Just calm down.! Oh my god that must hurt…*

Ha..ha.. what is.. frisk?

Thoughts could not connect. You felt nothing.

* * *

"Now kids, this is the skeletal system!" Ms. Terry held out a small 3d model of a skeleton.

You all named him Mr. Bones. He looked quite dapper.

Tons of 'wows' and 'oooohs' were heard throughout the classroom.

You looked at Nala, her dark eyes were shining. She wanted to be a doctor.

(Then.. Then I can make a way for you to talk somehow!)

"Can someone tell me where the spine is..? Frisk, you come!" She was smiling. Perhaps she had some extra coffee.

You shuffled out of your seat, walking up and pointing to the bumpy plastic cord.

"Correct! Very good Frisk! The spine is important, not only for structure, but because it sends messages to the body! If we didn't have it, we would not be able to think, move, or even talk!"

She sent a small apologetic look your way. You noticed why.

Nala looked amazed. Anatomy always fascinated her, and you never knew why. If you could stay with grandma forever, that would be much better than any job.

"Now class, where do you think is the ribs?..."

* * *

You were being picked up. You looked and saw something orange enveloping you.

Your skin was pale.

Well.. more like a dead, lifeless gray.

Ah, the joys of hypothermia.

Oh wow. You really will lose a finger.

Man Priiiiide….

It will all just be reset though.

You just had to wait.

Ghostie was silent.

You heard sobs coming from the small snowman piece. He was healing you.. perhaps this is why you could think a bit.

And it _hurt._

It ached. Your skin crawled and it felt like a beast was chewing you with stabbing fangs of ice.

You finally got out of the narrow cliff by some weird force pulling you up.

All you saw was Papyrus in front of you.

"H..Human?"

His voice was a soft hush, instead of the perky microphone he usually was.

"What happened? Oh no.. Sans what do I do?"

You heard another voice.

"Oh gosh.. uh… I dunno bro.. they look pretty messed up."

"Don't worry sans, i'll handle it.. lets take you to doctor Alphys…."

You closed your eyes.

But unlike in the ruins, there was still a way to go home.

You were determined.

* * *

[FRISK- 12:06

Snowdin Entrance]

[Continue] Reset

Stay determined.

* * *

And you woke up yet again.

 _Stay optimistic. Its over. You are alive._

You were next to the bridge, feeling a tremor of emotion cross you.

You shook, thanking whatever force that you were happy to move.

You stretched, cringing a LOT whenever you felt a small crack.

It was satisfying though.

Your camera was in good shape too. Perfect!

You took a photo of the view from the cliff as well; it was pretty.

Ghostie said nothing.

You looked and papyrus wasn't there. How long were you in the water before?

It didn't matter, anyway.

You walked out of the bridge very.. extremely..cautiously…

And ghostie didn't reprimand you for it.

You crossed the bridge and felt safe on the soild ground, but only after walking 6 feet away from any heights.

You saw a blue bunny man with an ice cream cart.

*PFFT BLUE BUNNY*

 _'TRUUUUUE'_

He seemed kind of distraught.

"Why don't I make any sales…? I don't get it.. it's the perfect weather for some nice cream.."

Seeing him with droopy ears and a small lamenting frown.. it made your heart hurt.

You walked up to him, since some ice cream really appealed to you, especially after eating pine needles.

Plus you felt sad for him.

The monster candy didn't really take off the taste. Blech.

He noticed you and perked up immediately.

"Why hello lil' bunbun! Would you like some Nice cream? It's the frozen treat that warms your heart!"

You nodded enthusiastically, happy to get some kind of snack.

The monster candies were plant based. Ewww.

"Okay! Which one?"

You pointed at the vanilla.. but then you waved a no. You put your hand on your chin as if in a contemplative pose.

*Hm? Why aren't ya buyin' it?*

 _'Whats your favorite flavor?'_

*Hm… I like chocolate. It's the best.*

You pointed to a chocolate and vanilla nice cream instead. He gave you that one with a smile.

"That will be 15 G, please!"

You gave him the money and proceeded to tear the wrapper. It smelled nice.

*The wrappers usually have messages on them. Read it*

(Have a Jolly-Lolly day!)

You felt happy.

How were the two of you going to enjoy it though?

*Hm… just let me feel the same things.*

Easier said than done.

You tried focusing on doing so, but your concentration just made you fart.

*You nasty.*

But at least you were slightly on par.

*I guess we have to think alike… hmm.. what do you like to do?*

 _'I like to draw and eat.'_

*This will be harder than I thought.*

*I like butts pie!*

 _'Me too!'_

 _'I LIKE PURPLE!'_

*I TOO ENJOY COLORS!*

You felt the connection growing a bit stronger.

*I AM DETERMINED!*

 _'ME TO—wait how?'_

*SHUSH!*

 _'OKAY!'_

And you continued this little charade until you felt half and half.

It was the strangest thing to experience; like if someone splits you in half and you can feel the other part of you three feet away.

You tried getting up, but you both kept on tripping, falling, or just slumping awkwardly, so you both decided to eat the ice cream.

(This small scene was inspired by 14Cookiesinajar on Ao3, also the creator of Affording on FFN! Check them out!)

Ghostie decided to nap a bit though, so you nibbled the rest in peace, sitting on a small rock.

* * *

"Princess Dreemurr, We need your help in this matter."

'What is it, Gerson? I have many meetings to attend to.'

"This is urgent, my liege. The underground is becoming too small! Monsters are getting depressed! We are in drastic times!"

Gerson was frantic. The people he fought so hard for were falling out. More and more monsters were falling down, HoPe dwindling to 0.

If only.. If only he could make it bigger! His cracked shell had long lost its density, all it held now was himself and a memory of a greater hero.

He clenched his clawed hands into fists.

"We must do something! Your highness, I beg you! Do you have a plan for this?"

'..I will try to find a solution, Gerson. Let me talk to Azz—Prince Dreemurr about this matter.'

She walked away from Gerson, royal robes flowing in the breeze.

The royal heir walked down the corridors, mind deep in thought.

Ever since Asgore and Toriel had fallen down, things started to crumble.

Asriel was distraught.

He always was a crybaby.

Now it was up to her.

It was 50 years since they died, children were falling down. Asriel decided to take charge of the Old kingdom, while another was made in waterfall for Chara.

She walked on in a furred cloak, going to the river person.

"..Hello.. Your highness.. where to?"

'Onding, please.'

Snowdin was renamed Onding, being a better name by vote in polls. (pfft, google it.)

Hotland was Calor.

And other towns were named as fancy words. They were still puns though.

The boat stopped and Chara headed to the rendezvous point.

Asriel was waiting, dressed in his father's armor.

He had grown quite tall, but his horns were not as impressive.

He would always be a silly brother, after all.

But not now. Things were too severe for laughs.

"I just got word from waterfall. The Octo-san family is cramped in the aquarium.. shyrens are dying, and we have no healers." Asriel's gruff voice was ridden with panic.

'What will we do, azzy?'

He fell to his knees.

"I don't know… I really don't know…!" he was crying…

She smacked his head. It hurt her hand more than it would him, but Chara stayed strong.

'DON'T BE A CRYBABY IN A SITUATION LIKE THIS!'

He looked up at her in shock.

'We are wearing the delta rune. Mom and dad left this crest to us.. this symbol of royalty, knowing we could fix this!'

'Lets keep our heads high to the end. Lets stay determined and lead the rest of our people through this Armageddon. They are counting on us, and we have to stay strong and be the support our kingdom needs.'

He looked shaken, but nodded. He stood up, and they both went to the old kingdom, brushing off tears and any anxiety that crawled up their spines.

Asriel shouted to the underworld from the balcony, which was starting to grow vines.

"MONSTERS OF THE UNDERGROUND, DO NOT FRET! WE SHALL FIX THIS MATTER AS SOON AS WE CAN!"

….

You recalled that day.

'do not fret, for we have the strength of the underground to unite us..'

You almost cried.

The core malfunctioned due to the ice wolves dying.

It overheated and exploded.

The royal scientist disappeared, leaving his two children alone. You had them over sometimes, but the older one.. about 14 at the time.. he made you feel like you were to blame. He was very depressed.

Whenever the older skeleton saw his brother though, it was as if that was the last straw holding him down to reality.

The younger one was smarter than he seemed as well, always being cleverly naive and finding challenges in everything. But with his brother, he seemed to not notice anything.

"If I leave him alone, he will feel like he has no responsibility with anything.. I try to make him feel like there is something to try for.. that's why I act." Said the younger.

Was Asriel the same?

The other scientists disappeared with him.. what was his name again..?

The only other scientists were in the Saur family, but they all fell down due to stress.

Even the young one, Alphys. Her shimmering golden scales and confident smile made everything a bit darker when she left.

Undyne had been distraught at losing her best friend, but she used that as her resolve to be stronger for the underground.

She died after losing her next eye in a fight for royalty.

You sat down, creaky joints settling on Your late mother's armchair.

She was more of a parent than your human father could ever have been.

You were old now. Nothing to live for.

Asriel died, giving you a half of his life.. and for what?

You lived to be 300.. but what was it worth, to live a life of agony?

The monsters were dusting rapidly, having no hope at this time.

The younger ones with pep in their step and sparkling eyes.. they were the fastest to go when they found out.

Gerson flickered out like a light and disappeared.

Nobody remembered him, even when he was so highly regarded for making the underground as big as he could.

You left the kingdom, the stench of anarchy permeating the underground.

There must have been only 30 monsters left.

You abandoned it all.

You remembered what the Delta rune meant. That rune you treasured and took to heart with every meaning.

The angel to save them all.

 **The angel who abandoned her people.**

 **Maybe you were the bringer of death instead.**

You kept the skeleton brothers here, gave them a home in the ruins, and stayed with the children who fell.

 **The human children all died because of hunger.**

 **You learned to cook with pine needles afterwards, growing pines and crops to eat.**

The last to fall was an absolute sweetheart though, her name was Frisk.

 **She fell down after losing her grandma. She wanted to do the same as you.**

You were her family, she was yours. The brothers had left once the older noticed the coffins.

For some reason, Frisk's soul trait was never activated.

Didn't she know what it meant to do?

All of the other children had their traits up and going. Perhaps they didn't know what they did.

Green-Kindness- To be able to see good intentions.

Purple- Perserverance- To be strong of mind, and persevere through hard events.

Blue-Integrity-To have truthful words, and to persuade others with truthful speech.

Cyan-Patience- To wait out through the toughest storm, and think clearer than a still river.

Orange-Bravery-To get courage even in the brink of death, and gain strength from inner strength.

Yellow-Justice- To have a strong sense of justice, and be the bullet that tears through the dark.

Red-Determination-To transcend through all boundaries through willpower.

You wished you could go back. You wished you could go back to when you came to the underground, you just wanted to fix everything..

Your soul responded, glowing with a hum as a long dormant power rose up.

When you were born, the curse had never existed. Your father was the red mage, your mother was a soul of justice.

You weren't as affected by the curse when It came though..

But it was still in effect.

They never blocked a soul trait though, just blocking the ability to cast spells through speech.

But now you could try again…

CHARA 5:10

The Ruins- Chara's home.

Continue [Reset]

And you took that opportunity.

Frisk just stared at you the whole time.

She was with you for 30 years. She was like your daughter.

But you could meet her again.

You spoke for the first time in 289 years…

"See you on the other side.. frisk."

You reset.

The world was white.

And you woke up on a bed of flowers.

You could only reset once. That's all your soul trait could do, since you were from mixed souls.

Dominant soul traits take over, leaving the weaker ones unused.

But you were going to make the most of it.

You saw Asriel once more.. tiny little nubs for horns, that familiar striped sweater.. and that crybaby face.

You felt warm tears stream down your baby cheeks.

You were just a kid. But you felt so old.

Wait… why were you here again? It feels foggy..

"Howdy.. oh my! Do you need any help? Let me take you home!"


	9. Icy adventures

**EDIT: FRISK IS NOW 10 YEARS OLD. BECAUSE KIDS DONT KNOW THAT MUCH AT EIGHT. STOOPID ME.**

* * *

You eventually got off of the rock when you finished your nice cream, although with a bit of difficulty.

The ice stuck onto your woolen sweater, sticking onto the fragile fibers and stretching it to the point it was almost a short dress.

Needless to say, it was cool to have more coverage on your thighs. But now your sweater had more small openings for wind.

' _Darnit_.'

Ghostie was asleep, by the sound of it.

She seemed to be mumbling something, but it was indiscernible.

A small whisper was not heard by Frisk.

*its.. not my fault..*

You walked up to the nice cream vendor and tugged on his uniform shirt.

How wasn't he cold in this weather? Probably because of his thick coat of fur.

He looked down at you and smiled.

Bunny teeth are weird.

"Why hello again Bunbun! Want another Nice Cream?"

You needed to stay fit. This place obviously has a lot of physical strain involved, especially if you want to leave unscathed.

You died twice because of your own carelessness, and you don't want to die again.

'No thanks'

"Hm? Then what is it?" He looked curious, probably because not many people want something other than ice cream, and he seemed to have very few customers.

You pointed to your camera, then to him and yourself, hoping he would understand what the gesture meant.

"Ohh, you want a photo?" he looked kind of shy, a small blush evident on his rosy ears.

You nodded.

"Well, I guess that couldn't hurt."

He gently put you on his lap and you took the photo.

He looked pretty awkward on the picture though, his smile was strained and his eyes were saucers.

You tapped his arm and he set you down on the snow once more.

"Happy to help, bunbun." He seemed very cheerful.

'Have a great day!' You were cheerful. Hopefully you could leave soon and take advantage of the hand warmers you had at home.

You went off after, thanking him for the small memory as you walked to the path below.

Yet again, there was another field of ice, with an enormous snowball that could easily reach your shoulders.

You tapped it curiously, only to find that it melted at your touch almost immediately.

The most defective snowcone: Giant edition!

 _'Whatcha think about this, ghostie?'_

Ghostie was unresponsive, but soft snoring echoed your thoughts; it was relieving to know she was there.

Even though you met her two days ago.. it felt like you knew her for a longer time than that.

 _Sad, weathered **red** eyes gazing back at you from a dusty armchair, now bloodied mouth saying that phrase you found yourself hating in a matter of seconds._

 _"See you on the other side"_

Your head hurt.

You decided to stop thinking about that, whatever it was.

You left the snowball alone for now, feeling the slight sense of adventure flow through you with a hopeful flutter in your heart.

You walked back to where the nice cream man was, taking a left to the other clearing.

It was a very pleasant walk over there, and it was also very scenic.

You looked around to find.. the river..

Losing breath and gasping only to fill your aching lungs with freezing water, numbness making your heart ache as you dip in and out of consciousness…

You looked away, opting to look at the shiny crystalline ceiling.

It shone with crystals, minerals and metals. How come people never came down here anyway?

Why were the monsters trapped? Why did they want your soul?

You kind of missed ghostie's echoing voice close by, but you decided to keep her sleeping.

You would pester her with questions later, of course.

You were approaching some pines, when you saw that oh-so-terrifyingly familiar blue jacket in the distance.

You were about to turn around and go back to the Snowball, but he turned and noticed you immediately.

Crap.

You flinched a bit but walked over to where he was.

" 'ey kid. Ya kno', I've Been thinkin' about sellin' my own treats too. Makes some mighty fine business, just look at good ol' Blue back there."

He tilted his head towards the nice cream bunny, but the gesture was not as condescending as it sounded.

'What kind of treats?' You were curious. Sans could cook?

"Fried ice. I'll even 'glazecier' it with some more ice. That would be 'cool', amirite'?"

You didn't want to say no, mostly because he seemed kind of the spiteful type, so you hesitantly agreed.

"Greeat. That'll be 5 G."

You started to reach into your jean pocket for the gold, when he stopped you.

"Nevermind. 50 G."

You looked at him, dumbfounded.

"Okay, 500 G."

You just stared at him.

His gaze betrayed nothing. He just kept grinning like a deadly idiot.

"50,000 G, last offer."

You flipped him off. Ghostie had nothing to do with it.

His eye sockets visibly twitched briefly, grin tensing awkwardly, but it left as soon as it came, leaving him with that same neutral expression.

It was terrifying how he was completely unable to read. All expressions were indiscernible.

He could lie to you at any moment and you could believe it like the pope told you.

"What, you don't have the money?"

You did nothing, just staring at his weird skull. How did that work? How did he talk? How did he move?

You need nerves and stuff to move.. right?

Apparently this wasn't the case.

"That's okay. I don't have any snow."

His grin became derpified once more, and you just facepalmed.

You remembered what Ms. Terry said one time.

* * *

 _"Remember kids, try not to crack your joints. It weathers cartilage."_

 _Nala looked confused, but that was the thing about her. She never was afraid to ask._

 _"Ms. Terry, what is cartilage?"_

 _She brightened at the question, smiling even though her hands were twitching with the caffeine._

 _Yep, she definitely had a mug of expresso._

 _You eyed the bottle of aspirin she had peeking out of her desk drawer._

 ** _[MAXIMUM STRENGTH! KING SIZE! WORKS FOR ANY SYMPTOM!]_**

 _You tried to get Nala to see it, but she was too absorbed in the lessons._

 _You didn't really care about the human body, but at least some tidbits were interesting._

 _"It is a sort of tissue between your joints. It is very vital to our movement, since it is a shock absorber for the friction that can happen between them. If we had no cartilage, moving would be very painful."_

 _You needed to ask._

 _'Like arthritis?'_

 _"Er.. well yes, frisk. Only arthritis is caused by other factors. I imagine it would hurt more though."_

 _You could only imagine what grandma was feeling every day, grasping her hands and elbows slightly._

* * *

"You okay there kid?"

Oops.

Well time to act like you didn't just zone out while staring at him.

You held your chin in mock thought, before asking him a question to ease the atmosphere.

'Do you have cartilage?'

"hm? What's a cartilage? Never heard of that monster." He just kept grinning.

Maybe he didn't like answering questions?

'Don'tcha know humans have skeletons too?'

He looked kind of disbelieving.

"Yeah right. Tell me when you don't have any skin, or whatever it is that humans have."

You squinted your eyes as much as they could, before walking away.

Also squinting.

You were looking back at him while walking forward, which made your neck hurt, but you finally just gave up and gave him the universal 'I gots mah eye on you' kind of gesture.

In the end of this clearing, all you saw were two sentry stations, and a sign in the middle.

One had a male dog on the roof, saying his.

The other was hers.

*You were confused, yet openly amused.*

Yep, ghostie's awake. You bent down to see the sign.

*You read the sign, which seemed to be made of pine.*

Ah, ghostie. The best narrator in existence.

*It was listing many smells, saying the human one as well.*

Speaking of smells, you needed to shower badly. You were grimy and soaked with snow and yuckies.

*Yeah you should shower. If I were corporeal I would die again if I sniffed you.*

 _'You broke mah hart~'_

*Okay I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-*

 _'Wanna be my love glue?'_

Flirting was a virtue, unknown by many.

But if you flirt with a tsundere…

*WHAAT DUDE HOW OLD ARE YOU, NINE LIKE YOU SHOULDN'T DO THAT IM OLDER THAN YOU AND-*

Yeah..

Probably not the wisest decision.

You gave her control, mostly to stop hearing her bicker.

So that's how she fell to the ground in the sudden shift.

And how your mouth got stuffed with snow yet again.

 _'So.. you gonna take that? My body is literally on the floor.'_

*No. I don't want Sans to notice anything out of the ordinary.*

 _'I always knew you liked mee. Once you have a see at the frisk life, you ain't never goin' back.'_

Her flustered expression was gone immediately, and all that was left was a deadpan.

' _Uh… b-baka?'_

She pushed you back to your body, and you regretted flirting with her.

Turns out your body didn't just fall on snow.

This was different.

This was ICE.

The biting cold seemed to penetrate through your soft skin, making it pale and faint looking.

You decided to give her some payback.

 _'i-its not like you like me or anything… b-bakaaaa desuuuu'_

*Do that some more and I'll start saying 'boruto's dad.'*

You got up immediately and started heading towards the snowball.

Because Naruto did nothing to deserve that.

Who even watched Boruto and loved it as much as Naruto?

You decided to think about it, probably a bit harder than any person with common sense.

But then again, Ten-year olds had wild imaginations.

Well..

Ten and a half.

Gosh you felt old.

*Baby.*

 _'Bully.'_

*Hey Im not!*

' _You are. You broke my heart and didn't wanna be my love glue~'_

Ghostie responded by shoving snow up your shirt.

Why.

This was the only thing you thought as you ran in circles like a monkey with diabetes chasing after skittles.

You frantically shook your shirt open, trying to shake out the snow, and finally ended your icy hell.

*Huehuehue*

 _'Meeaannnnieeeee'_

*am noooot*

You approached the giant snowball yet again and decided to inspect it. it shone brightly under the artificial lighting of the underground, and the ice had never seemed to settle.

It looked fluffier than the snow poff from earlier, but unfortunately, you were granted the misfortune of not being able to PET it.

You saw a goal on the far end of the road though, maybe you could make it?

Looking around, you also saw that same magical star that saved you twice. The shine came from what seemed to be… two clearings away.

 _'Thank you star.'_

*You are really thanking a star. Why are you so.. extra?*

 _'If I don't do this ghostie.. I feel like I won't be able to smile in the rest of my trip here. Grant me this at least, okay?'_

She paused for a long moment, but finally sighed and conceded.

*Okay, frisk.*

You slid through the ice to push the snowball through into the tiny goal, hoping it would work.

With Ghostie controlling your arms, you pushed on with your stability, sliding the already melting ball into the goal.

* * *

They were all terrified.

"uh… guys…? How is frisk gonna get out?" Said Nala, nervously.

The trio stopped in their tracks.

They looked at eachother, the severity of their newfound crime weighing them down.

"She can climb.. haha… right?" Said dewey. He was sweating through his blond bowl cut, blowing his bangs out of his face.

"Dude I don't think mute kids can climb." Joey looked increasingly nervous.

"WHAT ARE WE GOING TO TELL HER GRANN-" Nala shouted, only to be shushed by her companions.

They were all just third graders… what were they supposed to know?

"Uh.. UH.. OKAY! I got an Idea. We can say she went on a sleepover at… your place!" Joey had one look that could be described as pure denial. Ah, the joys of ignorance.

He pointed at Nala.

"Whaaat?! Why ME?" She looked nervous as well, eyes widening as she brushed her curly hair out of her face.

"Cuz' yer' a girl! Girls do that stuff!" Joey crossed his arms like it was pure fact.

"That's as true as saying women don't fart, ya stinker!" Nala was getting ticked off, why did she join these goons?

"THEY DON'T THOUGH!" Dewey shouted it out to the two and bickering could be heard for the rest of the trip.

They felt their sins writhing on their back the whole way though.

After saying farewell to her friends, Nala walked to her house, just 5 blocks from the large mountain.

 **The mountain she chucked her ex. Best friend down.**

 **Is she still alive?**

She shook away those thoughts.

Pulling out her spare house key, she walked into the tidy mudroom, putting away her things before walking to see her mother calling someone viciously while pacing the room.

"I said— **WHERE IS MY DAUGHTER**? I thought she was with her friends! She hasn't come since two pm Marcia!" Her mother gripped the home phone and practically radiated a seething aura.

"..Ma?" Nala had never seen this side of her.

She froze in her tracks, though 'Marcia' was still arguing her side of the story.

She turned to look at Nala with a dark toned face soaked with tears, and ran to hug Nala like it was the last time she would see her.

The door closed behind the two, and they had a lot of discussion about proper house rules.

Nala felt her sins crawling on her back though.

 **I killed her..**

 **I won't be loved.**

 **I'm a murderer!**

* * *

You got the snowball into the goal successfully, beaming at your newfound accomplishment as a small yellow flag popped up from the goal, beaming with confetti and a small congrats.

You took a selfie with it in the background, because you were worth it.

You scooted off of the ice with a hop skip and jump; nothing was going to ruin this success!

Of course, the world replied by tangling your legs and making you fall ungracefully to the cold ice.

*The world has a grudge on you?*

' _ha. Ha. Ha. So funny.'_

*I know, It's a talent.*

Walking out of the icy path, you proceeded headfirst into adventure!

*The sense of adventure fills you with determination!*

' _Why thank you ghostie.'_

*Why can't you call me something other than ghostie? Its getting a biiit old.*

' _Hm. How about Buttercup?'_

*Why. Why would you pick that as a NAME for god sakes.* Ghostie sounded a bit.. anxious?

 _'Because I landed in buttercups, and buttercup is the powerpuff girl character that reminds me of you most.'_

*No. Just no. I'll stick to ghostie. *

You felt her waver a bit. Just how strong was that connection you had with her?

You saw a small snowball, approaching it with curiosity.

*You looked at this snowball… but actually, it is a snow decahedron. *

What?

You tried lifting the snowball, but it was like a 50 pound weight.

There was a large SOS on the top of it.

Oh my.

You searched for a stick to free whoever was inside of that accursed ball, grabbing a thick one from the pine trees nearby.

Using all of your strength, you broke open the snowball with three hits.

With a large POOF, snow exploded from the small ball and covered you completely.

You also saw a bunch of monsters running out frantically, yelling "IM FREEEEE!"

You felt happy that you freed them, but now you were covered head to toe in fluffy white agony.

You felt a small tug on your sleeve, looking down, you saw a small pair of eyes looking back at you.

Yet again, you encountered another small monster with a large Ice hat.

*Ice cap!*

They looked at you with beady eyes, asking you if its cap was pretty.

You nodded, signing that it looked very sparkly and brought out its eyes.

A small grey blush flashed on its face, as it said "O…of course! Because my cap is just so great!"

It hopped away to brag to its friends, which were two other ice caps and a fluffy bird monster.

You walked away, letting them talk together as you walked towards the next opening, shaking yourself free of snow in the process.

All you saw at the end of the clearing were sans and Papyrus.

*Déjà vu, much?*

' _Yes mucho.'_

*You speak Spanish?*

 _'Si.'_

*cool.*

 _'si.'_

*Ok can you stop?*

 _'si.'_

*…*

Papyrus was talking yet again, and you heard every word.

"SANS! HOW MANY TIMES HAVE I TOLD YOU TO BE RESPONSIBLE? I CLEAN THE HOUSE AND DO THE CHORES YET YOU CANNOT CLEAN YOUR OWN ROOM LIKE A LAZYBONES! NYEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEH!"

*Papyrus cleans everything? How diligent.*

 _'Yeah. Its crazy how this is normal for him.'_

Sans just looked at his brother with that pun inducing look.

"WAIT, NONONONONONO-"

But papyrus's efforts were in vain.

"I 'dust' can't get enough 'sweep' lately bro. I can't get 'mop' from such a comfy bed like 'dish', but you can 'wash' me fix my room very soon"

"NOOOOOOOOOOO!"

"Ye' Bro."

"I WILL NOT SUCCUMB TO YOUR EVIL PUNNING WAYS BROTHER!"

Then Papyrus noticed you in the bushes, hiding with your camera ready for blackmail evidence.

 _'Huehuehue… not that I planned on using it….'_

*Jeez frisk, you scare me sometimes.*

But it was too late for them; you took a photo with the drone option of your camera.

 _'Hehehe….MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA *Koff*'_

*Pfft, dorkie.*

"AHA! TINY HUMAN! I SEE YOU HAVE FOUND YOUR WAY TO THIS RENDEZVOUS SPOT! WAS IT DIFFICULT? WELL TOO BAD! BECAUSE THIS WILL BE EVEN BIGGER OF A BIG..ER.. JAPE!"

'why?' you signed. You only saw a sheet of paper on the clearing.

"BECAUSE IT WAS DESIGNED BY MY BROTHER, SAN—"

He took a glance at the clearing, and his empty eye sockets turned into comical googly eyes, before glaring at his brother, who was glancing away almost innocently.

Papyrus picked up his lazy counterpart and shook him, though noticeably lightly.

"SAANSSS! WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS? YOU TOLD ME YOU HAD PREPARED THE PERFECT JAPE!"

Sans seemed used to this sort of roughhousing, just staying calm and waiting for his brother to finish speaking.

"Nothin' wrong with the puzzle bro, its gonna work on em' jus' you wait."

Papyrus seemed disbelieving of this, before he glanced at the woods, seeming to notice something in the distance, and resigning.

"I HOPE YOU ARE RIGHT SANS.."

And you? You were chewing on some pine needles while watching the two bicker.

*It seems you have acquired a taste for them, frisky.*

'eh, they are okay. I like the water in them. Not as cold.'

Ghostie was also openly amused at their banter, and you both watched with a small smile.

Somehow you had connected unknowingly, but it felt pretty natural to do so.

She is kind of like a big sister by now, you supposed.

She stayed silent, but you felt how she was not unpleased by the sudden title.

A slight warmth entered your chest as you felt the same things she was.

You didn't call her out on it though.

"NOW, HUMAN! LETS SEE IF YOU CAN BEAT.. UH.. THIS WONDERFUL PUZZLE MY BROTHER PREPARED!"

The connection broke as you got up to walk over to the 'jape'.

You missed that warmth though.

It was a word-search, seemingly cut from a newspaper. The back had a segment of an article on a monster product.

[HORN CREAM! POLISHES, RENEWS, AND RESTORES!]

You just looked at them with a face that could be directly amounted to: Really dudes?

Papyrus was sweating a bit, but you took one of the crayons you got in the ruins and decided to proceed with the puzzle.

You had gotten almost all of them correct with your trusty purple crayon, but the last word absolutely baffled you. It was a pile of mishmash that looked more like when Rufus sat on your keyboard.

Grandma was patient, yet amused and slightly frustrated when she read the botched email, but you both read it together.

It was funny, but it was so.. so limiting.

To not be able to express oneself through speech, to have to swallow what you want to say and bottle it up.

You never really talked for real in your mind, it was just a simulation of it, really. The brain dissociates experiences from being real, but it tries to make things make sense as much as possible.

But it felt so freeing.

You had tasted a bit of that freedom, once upon a time.

But life is just funny like that, with its ups and downs.

Tears hit the paper.

You zoned out again, but you wiped your tears and finally found the word.

['GHDSFsRQWERRTY']

There.

You handed it to Papyrus, who looked at you with a worried expression before clearing whatever throat he had.

Of course, there is no wonderland without things that absolutely neglect human anatomy and physics.

"Ahem.. VERY GOOD SMALL HUMAN! Er.. SANS THAT JAPE WAS INEFFECTIVE!"

"Darn… Just like my chemical jokes… they get no 'reaction'."

*Ah, le google eyes. Such an elegant, wistful sight.*

 _'Majestic indeed, ghostie dearest.'_

*Why thank you, lady Frisk.*

 _'The pleasure is mine.'_

"NYEH! YOU HAVE SOLVED ANOTHER PUZZLE YET AGAIN, YOU SLIPPERY SNAIL!"

*Whats with this guy and snails?* ghostie whispered slightly.

 _'no idea.'_

"Knew it, I shoulda' gone with the crossword."

"WHAT?! CROSSWORD?"

"I CANNOT BELIEVE YOU SAID THAT! IN MY OPINION, JUNIOR JUMBLE IS EASILY THE HARDEST!"

"What? Dude? That easy-peasy word scramble? That's for babybones."

"UN-BELIEVABLE! HUMAN!"

Papyrus turned to you with a turn of a heel and you looked at him, hands covering your ears.

You preferred not being mute and deaf, thank you very much.

"SOLVE THIS DISPUTE!"

Oh gosh. You were very hard with decision making.

You were scared of sans, yet you didn't want to disappoint papyrus. Jeez.

Well, crossword was always harder, but junior jumble was a bit difficult for you, mostly because of the last word.

You started to feel a bit nervous, but papyrus was still waiting.

"Human? Which is harder?"

He said it in a softer tone, which you thanked silently.

You then glimpsed at something very handy in the corner of the clearing.

Sprinting over to the corner, you dug up the snow around it and then gestured for them both to come.

Pointing at your decision, Sans just grinned wider and Papyrus facepalmed.

You pointed to a rock.

Rocks ARE harder, right?

*You found a loophole! Are you proud of yourself?*

 _'Yus mommy.'_

*Agh just no. NO.*

 _'si.'_

*ARGHH*

You turned to papyrus once more, asking him a question.

'How come crosswords are easy for you? Those are super hard for me to do!'

"er…"

He never spoke so soft before, it was like there was a hole in his personality.

"WELL, I JUST FILL THE BOXES WITH Z'S! BECAUSE ALL I DO IS SNORE! NYEHEHEHEH"

He walked off with a trot in his step and that same iconic smile that grew to comfort you, at least a bit.

But it was like he was lying to you somehow.

You walked over to sans to see what he wanted to say, since his derp was still over 9000.

"Psst, kid, cm'ova' here."

You inched closer, and he then spoke.

"Papyrus… finds difficulty in strange places."

You tilted your head in confusion.

He looked to the side and said "Yesterday he got stumped trying to 'solve' the horoscope."

*oh…oh my.*

You walked away without a word, but not before eating a mouthful of snow.

This was just too weird.

You walked away from sans, just baffled at your latest discovery.

*Don't think about it, save your brain cells.*

 _'true.'_

You plopped yourself on that newly discovered rock and decided to nom on a monster candy.

Gosh, you would love some of your grandmas cooking.

She's Puerto Rican, but she grew up in the Dominican Republic.

She would sign and weave calm tales about the beaches and the life there. Her descriptions so vivid, you could feel the sun on your cheeks and visualize the cities.

If only she were here right now. Everything would be better if you could see her one more time.

But nooo, you have to go with a bunch of goons thinking people can be good.

How wrong you were.

You walked to the next clearing, feeling bitterness ache in your chest.

You knew that as soon as you saw that haunted look in Nala's eyes..

She would never act the same.

After all, why go headfirst into trauma…

When you could avoid it completely?

* * *

'Oh… oh my gosh… F-frisk?'

You turned to her with the one thing she was traumatized most about.

Everybody ran, even Nala's tormentors.

Your throat ached.

Her parents were from the PTA, their parents told their kids.

And there you were.

The demon of Ebbot elementary.

* * *

You didn't want to think about that. Not ever again. When they both walked away, you walked to where Papyrus glanced at. It seemed odd that he just gave up like that, so you wanted to know.

All you saw was a large clearing hidden, with a bunch of dangerous looking mechanisms.

They were trashed, with icicles hanging from the sharp spiky chains and belts.

You were grateful to them for this.

Maybe you could trust them more?

*Thinking that you might have possible friends down here.. it fills you with determination.*


	10. Naive?

**Ah.. Im super sorry that I waited so long to update, doods. I had a lot of stuff come up, and that mixed with 0 motivation kinda hits you hard. But Im backs! Ill update more If i can!**

 **Warning for some feels here... if it makes you feel anything, that is XD**

 **I feel like I've made Papyrus OOC. eh.**

 **Thanks to everyone who commented and/or followed DC!**

* * *

That mechanism frisk found in the woods.. it was very familiar somehow.

The first royal scientist… they made that before.. didn't they?

Who's "they"?

What did I forget from that time?

Frisk walked away from the machine, following the two perky skel's. There was a bit of hope that they weren't really bad. It was a nice thing to hope for after what happened lately. Looking around, the pine trees were still very thick and full, but one caught her eye; whatever it was, it wasn't very discernable from the rest of the trees.

When they walked through to check it out, it was a large pine as wide as a room! I couldn't believe my eyes, but neither could she.

' _ghostie.. this looks like it came from the Berenstein beavers!_ '

I didn't bother to question whatever it was. Frisk was more into kiddy stuff.

It had a small weathered wooden door at the front, and upon knocking on it, two small Snowdrakes opened the door. They were youthful, with a shine still in their eyes.

One was yellow, the other a very pale red, almost looking like a fuzzy pink.

Red didn't seem like such a bad color when _she_ was wearing it.

Oh well.

They both squealed and invited us to play, so Frisk obliged. How come she can't just say no?

Well, I wasn't complaining… much.

*Frisk, we have to go.*

' _Just wait a bit, ghostie._ ' Said she, as she drank some fake tea. They clinked their plastic tea cups in cheers.

*Frisk, the brothers are waiting.*

' _They can wait a bit more_.' She said, nonchalantly wearing a ton of kid makeup. "ohhhh!" "You look bootiful!" squealed the snowdrakes.

*Frisk cmoooon*

' _Juust a minute_ ' She said, donning a fake feather boa. She was strutting down a fake runway- which was really just a table runner. The snowdrakes cheered and gave her 10/10 ratings. She took photos.

*Frisk i'm telling ya, I'm not gonna make you do leave; That's just lazy on your part.*

' _Don't worry~_ ' She said, crunching on some stale chisps. The label had that same indicative star, though it was strange how realistic the food was now.

The others nommed on sunflower seeds.

I didn't tell Frisk at the time, but I was silently plotting how to steal those sunflower seeds. Pine needles weren't going to sustain Frisky for long, and I was NOT going to give her bark to eat.

' _This packaging is very odd though._ '

*Hm? You don't have popato chisps up there?*

'Popato chisps. Ya gotta admit, Ghostie, that's a weird name.'

*Everything is weird down here, gurl.* Said I. Sass was one of my best virtues, after all.

Frisk stayed and had some more fun with the two, and even though they didn't understand sign language, their amusement spoke volumes.

It was that kind of fun that needed no words to understand.

"ChiiilDREN~! We have to go! You both have a checkup soon!" It must have been their mother. Her voice reminded me of the moms from tom and jerry.

But wait.. don't adults know what humans look like?

I forcefully grabbed control and I hid inside of the kiddy cupboards. I wasn't going to let frisk get into harms way.

I finally found someone who proved there was still hope for me. That there was still hope for monsters.

I wasn't going to lose that.

Frisk was already complaining about my forceful entry, but I didn't listen. I stilled myself and listened, watching through a small crack in the plastic doors.

The fluffy snowdrakes went over to where we hid before the larger fluffy mother came and picked them up.

"But mamaaa, there was another kid here!"

"That's very nice, fluffen."

"Its true though! They had weird paws and moved them funny!"

"Would you two like some nice cream on the way to the doctor?"

This seemed to shut them up, because they were soon hand in hand with their mother, trotting with happy peeps.

Finally letting a sigh of relief escape my lips, Then, looking in the cupboards, I filled our pockets with as many sunflower seed packets as I could. Afterwards, I gave Frisk back control. I sagged against the fuzzy(?) Rufus bean bag and I waited for her to scold me.

But it never came.

Frisk dusted herself off, gave herself a few brief pats on the cheek, and walked out of the small doorway.

She still had that wacky makeup on.

*Glitter is so not your color by the way.*

' _I still rock the look, Ghostie._ ' Said Frisk, with a flip of her curls.

' _And Ghostie?_ '

Oh boy. Here comes the lecture.

' _Thank you. Its nice to know you care for me._ '

I didn't expect that.

I also didn't expect my form to relax even more. When was I even Tense?

*No problem..*

When was the last time someone was so nice to me?

* * *

"AGAIN!" A small form tried invoking a spell, only for it to fail horribly.

"M-Maelstrom" A small voice whispered, from her hands came only small white clouds, not a large storm.

"This is pitiful, Chara. You must shout spells with conviction! Maelstrom!"

Raising his hands, a large storm cloud started forming. Two small red irises glanced at the turbulent sky with trepidation, stuck in place.

The immense pressure that the cloud radiated almost burned her lungs, a breath seemed too much for her body to do, not responding to her demands.

The red-cloaked figure glanced at his daughter with frustration, lowering his hands and calling off the storm, which was starting to produce gales.

"Para." The clouds evaporated in seconds, and Chara could finally breathe again.

"You need to be stronger. How else will you be able to fight in the war?"

The war. That's all he ever talked about. The war, the war, the war. Why couldn't he just ask a friend to help him instead?

"Keep going! The sun is going down." He said/yelled.

She said nothing, looking down the whole time in a pause.

"Well?"

"I don't want to." She looked up at the Cloaked man, her small eyes seemed to burn with defiance. She clenched her palms into tight fists, not knowing that they radiated a buzzing feeling, giving her courage. Making her determined to say what she wanted to say **for months.**

Sparks of lightning buzzed from her closed fists, but she didn't notice.

"I don't want to fight in the war, I don't want to train, I don't want a soul trait, I don't want to stay here, **I Hate you** , and I hate mom for letting me do this, and I wish you both just DI-!-"

A smack echoed in the base of the mountains.

Nobody noticed a ghostly figure, seeing it all with wide eyes.

"oh no…."

After that day, nobody noticed bloodied fingertips as she walked home. She finally did the spell.

And she did it again.

And again.

They still had mist surrounding the tips.

Two small, bloodied hands walked up to the sink, washing off the stinging wounds to eat dinner.

Sitting at the table, she ate a feast. Everything was rich and vibrant.

But she all she felt was the burning, clawing ache of spite.

* * *

Though Ghostie's sudden take of control was abrupt, you weren't going to scold her for it.

She wanted to protect you after all, no noble deed should go punished.

When you thanked her though, a small knot in your chest dissolved, replaced by a sense of relief.

It was crazy how you were getting used to her presence, but this new change was welcome.

It was nice to have a friend, after all!

* * *

Papyrus was not happy at what he saw in the slightest.

The small human looked well fed and everything, but the way they looked at Sans with fear in their eyes.. It unsettled him.

Sure, he wasn't expecting a small human girl to come dashing at him, giving him a warm hug..

But why was she running in the first place?

Sans.

Maybe he noticed the way Papyrus glared at him slightly, maybe not.

But when that little girl hugged him, practically radiating the words "Save me" Papyrus knew something was up.

He could think and analyze just as well as his brother. Sure, his usual manner was very.. odd, but he..

He wasn't stupid! How he hated when people immediately thought he knew nothing, when half of the puzzles in Snowdin were carefully wired and planned by him.

Every member of the royal guard is in charge of making a puzzle, but since the dogs could only come up with the old "Treat that leads to a box and a stick " trap, Papyrus, with Sans' help, was able to re-calibrate everything.

Snowdin had been so depressing back before the brothers had gone. It had lost it's spark when the two royal children had died, they had been closest to the RUINS after all.

Why else would the King move away?

Papyrus felt the need to cheer everyone up. Everyone deserved to be happy, especially in such a hopeless time.

So, acting the way he did was what he felt would lift their spirits. He enjoyed doing so as well.

But, he always kept a close eye on his brother. Telling him to work on puzzles, to do something productive instead of spending more than 60% of his day at a greasy bar chugging green-magic infused ketchup.

Papyrus told him to keep the ketchup with him though.

 _Just in case._

After all, how else was his older brother going to feel some sense of responsibility? How else was he going to maintain the house in pristine order?

How else was he going to protect Sans?

The older monster was extremely fragile. Monsters usually have HP due to their hope in life, and this number is augmented by loved ones.

1 HP.. His brother was in critical condition, and Papyrus knew this.

He tried giving his brother some responsibilities, things for him to get out of bed for. There were so many times Sans couldn't find the motivation to even do that.

But.. With 1 HP, one hit can make the monster in question just lose any remaining will to survive, giving up.

Papyrus would read a book of the symptoms every night a few years back.

(If you or a loved one are suffering from Low HP, you might feel the following: Apathy, Lethargy, loss of strength, depression, and/or loss of SOUL Density. If you are suffering from this, try to..)

If he wasn't able to tell things like these, to be able to read the micro-expressions only his brother was capable of showing, of knowing if he needed some alone time or just wanted to talk about anything.

Papyrus had to know that.

If he acted all gloomy, that would only make matters 100x worse.

But.. for some reason..

It felt as though someone else was the one doing this, like someone else was managing everything.. but there were only two skeletons known in the underground. Some said that the river people were skeletons as well, but they were more like mummified humans, with tough dried scales and a very boney structure. They were known to be quite self-conscious though, hiding their faces in… cloaks… why cloaks?

It was better to remain focused.. ' _A wandering mind is a weakened soul_ '. A saying Undyne had repeated during their sparring.

They did so occasionally, but the thought of having to kill humans, regardless of how young or infantile.. it seemed like an abhorrent practice to him.

So nothing had surprised him more than when Sans had decided to be judge. This caused an argument to break between the two.

 _"We need the money bro! This house still has a loan!"_

 _"SANS! THIS IS A HORRIBLE IDEA! WHAT IF YOU HAVE TO FACE A HUMAN?"_

 _Sans went still at hearing this._

 _" Don't worry bro. This job never gets any humans. It'll be fine. We still have to pay 3,000 G, remember?"_

 _"Of course I remember, sans."_

 _"Then leave it to me, bro."_

 _"I trust you sans. Please do not face a human though. I would be scared for both of you."_

 _"heh.. no problem bro."_

They had managed to pay that loan… eventually. Sans had gotten quite a bit of money from such a position, while Papyrus had made himself useful in the UnderSchool.

Taking care of children always warmed his SOUL, that innocence that only children knew how to show, and such unparalleled kindness in some.

The only thing that bothered Papyrus about it was that awful name.

The king was horrible at names, a common fact known by nearly everyone in the underground. But.. how come he never got a committee for such things?

Well, it did add to the whimsy of the underground, so that was a plus.

Papyrus had decided to invest in a bone painting made by dogamy, finding it to be " _A very eclectic piece of art and it's fusion with nature._ " As he had said to Undyne.

Sans had prided himself into filling the home with gags.

Not that papyrus was complaining..

Much..

The sock was amusing though, 'Comic' was his name, of course.

Papyrus sighed briefly, planning out what to do next.

He knew what humans were, Undyne taught him well. But he has never seen one so short. Weren't they larger than this?

The fangs on the diagrams were rather.. inaccurate. As well as the wings and cat ears. And strange outfits with wands.

But the basis was sort of the same, he supposed.

How did they feel about monsters? They might still be afraid, especially with whatever Sans did.

He might be spiteful of what happened before.. but there is certainly no need to be projecting.

While killing is never an option, they may feel like self defense is the only way they can survive here.

Hopefully Papyrus could change that perspective.

Even if she had killed before.. A thought Papyrus couldn't even finish.

Everybody deserved a second chance. Everybody.

This was a philosophy he stood by strongly, and he would remain with such.

But first things first. Introductions.

After all, a trainee in the royal guard must look approachable, especially to young ones.

The shrieks of surprise came naturally though, the little one was quite shaken by this.

When she stopped hugging Papyrus, he had worried about what he should do to comfort her, but she seemed to be curious of his antics not too long after. How curious.

Perhaps this was a way to make her feel at ease staying here, at least for the meantime?

In that case, Papyrus would continue that act. Hopefully he had that 'sentry station' home. He had made when he was younger, making peace with the enemy teddy bears.

Sans was always a good monster, and was known for his frighteningly large amount of patience. Perhaps something made him feel apprehensive against this human?

Papyrus dashed off with the trick he always used on kids. They would try toasting marshmallows on the funny flames, but they were always just props.

Alphys would loan them to him, stage items from Mettaton's shows.

He had to admit, he totally didn't fangirl just a bit at the sight of one of MTT's props. Totally.

And this is also why Alphys understood and let him keep the props.

But that Is something to remain unspoken… Along with all of the figurines on his dresser with bone shaped handles.

Later that day, he had set off the small human to explore snowdin.

After all, this was a long standing tradition. Young monsters needed exposure to grow and gain strength.

Puzzles were perfect for that, after all.

Puzzles strengthened the mind, logic, and by extension body of the monster, who is so finely attuned to their SOUL.

Monsters usually stop developing around 15 years of age, where they just wear one stripe. This one stripe means they are an older adolescent, and is officially removed when they are 25 years of age.

Stripes were a better way of knowing what NOT to hit on, since monsters were so diverse.

But, some monsters, like loox and froggits, they had been fabled to be able to evolve past their old forms if they reached the proper emotional state. It's a shame they were rarely seen after the throne split.

Papyrus gave Sans a stern look once the human was out of sight.

"Sans."  
"Ye bro?" He opened an eye socket lazily.  
"Don't you 'yeh broh' me! What did you do to the human?"

"I did nuthin' bro" The nervous sweat on his skull said otherwise.

"Sans, why was the small human afraid of you, then?

You are normally a very amiable skeleton. I'm worried about how well she'll fare through the underground."

Sans looked up at his brother and sighed, glancing away with dim eye lights.

"Ya noticed, eh?.."

"Why, sans?"

"I dunno bro… but I feel like… like that kid has something to do with…: his voice trailed off to a low drawl. His dimmed eyelights flickered and the faint whisper of a grimace was evident in his nonchalant features.

"Sans, that child is not part of what happened, though I can barely remember what that was. Right now they are at their most vulnerable, and they need a friend to help them through the upcoming struggles they will inevitably face."

"So please, be nicer. Show them you can do better than just scaring a child."

"… Sure, bro."

The human approached, a small flicker of tentative curiosity in her eyes, though she seemed deep in thought. She would occasionally smile at what seemed to be nothing, but Papyrus paid no attention to it. It was wonderful that the human could be happy for no reason. It was that kind of youthful cheer that Papyrus was so fond of in children.

As they approached the clearing, Papyrus briefly cleared his nonexistent throat and used his "outdoor" voice.

"SO AS I WAS SAYING ABOUT UNDYNE"

* * *

A microwave.

There was a microwave.

On a table, sitting with some pasta and a note.

*Papyrus is pretty…. Out of bounds.*

' _Yup_.'

You walked over to the table with a spark of curiosity pulling you to the odd layout.

You grabbed the note. It read:

' _HUMAN! FEAST YOUR EYES ON THIS BEAUTIFUL MASTERPIECE, THESE ARTISAN NOODLES, THIS PERFECT SAUCE! THIS TRULY IS THE FEAST OF THE GODS! BUT LITTLE DO YOU KNOW, THAT THIS PASTA IS A TRAP DESIGNED TO ENTICE YOU INTO STAYING HERE FOREVER! NYEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEHEH!'_

*But.. Nobody likes cold spaghetti.. *

You shrugged, taking a photo of the funny placement and checking it out further.

The microwave wasn't plugged in, while the Pasta was frozen in place, the noodles caked in a clear layer of ice.

If this were even defrosted, it would have to be called 'sag'etti. The sauce had a purple hue to it.

It also smelled like glue. Why did it have sequins in it?

There was a small star in front of the table, so you tapped it. You felt a lot better. And less nauseous.

You were about to leave the clearing, when you heard a tiny squeak.

Yet another family of mice was living there. You peeked into the hole with curiosity.

Three pairs of small eyes stared back. It was cute.

Until one had four green glowing eyes staring back.

It glared menacingly, and instead of a squeak, you heard a low growl.

*HAHAHAHAH NO.*

Ghostie took control before you could do anything, getting up only to stumble and back away from the hole.

And then, the beast came out of its cave, and you both saw it in the artificial light of the underground.

It was just two mice on piggyback, staring at you with small 'MTT' brand LED glasses.

' _Whats MTT?_ '

*Dunno.*

They went back to playing piggyback, the one on the bottom playing a small dino toy that roared.

Cute.

Scary, but still cute.

*I swear Frisk, you can be way too forgiving.*

' _It's a living_.'

Walking on, you saw quite a bit to see. The first thing to strike you as odd was the tree just lying in the middle of the road. Not all of them were like this and were usually in straight clearings.

*Upon further examination, you came to notice that there was a camera inside!*

Another?

You already had one though.. You decided to leave it there. It was 'rooted' into the bark of the tree anyway.

*That was a bad one, even for you.*

' _Like you could do better_.'

*HA. WATCH ME.*

' _Oh dear_.'

*What's a dentist's favorite time to yank molars? Tooth-hurty! Why did the butterfly get kicked out of the dance? It was a moth ball. Why do cows have spots? Because that's how we get swiss. What did the bird say to the bee? Not telling you. Lel. What do you call a-*

At some point you just tuned her out. She'd get tired sooner or later.

Before going on, you spotted some monsters in the distance. Just to make sure no slip ups happened, you took a deep breath of your inhaler, feeling the numbing sensation almost instantly. All you saw was a mountain of fluff towering behind you though.

Before you could even peep, the tall anthropomorphic doge pulled out your would and started the battle. The world faded to black and white yet again.

He started easily first, grabbing his *dogger and his shield made of pommer-granite* before charging at you.

You didn't know what to do, he was coming at you with bullets that were shaped just like his daggers, and you could only run so far before the tennis court box held you down. So you did the only thing you could.

*You dashed towards the 6 foot blade. Hopefully you have a plan, or you are sushi.*

' _Thanks for the encouragement, ghostie_ ' You rolled your eyes sarcastically.

*Mhm, No problem, frisky*

You ran towards it, waiting until it passed through you as it flashed blue.

You visibly flinched as the now harmless attack whose past you though. It smelled like dog biscuits and milk duds.

Not only that, but you knew for certain that you would never get used to that strange, almost ectoplasmic feeling of that magic passing through you. It was cold and warm, and every time lesser dog breathed it pulsed with life.

No wonder magic was so big here; it's completely synced with the monsters!

Checking your options (and completely ignoring the talk button) you decided to pet the doge.

*You barely make a step before lesser dog gets excited.*

His tail was wagging excitedly.

Okay, maybe too excitedly.

*you walk over to lesser dog, he is even more excited.*

The attack was nowhere to be found, instead the bullets he summoned manifested into small puppies.

They skidded Around The fresher snow, getting into playful tussles.

*You throw the pine branch their way. Lesser dog is the first to catch it.*

"Pant, Pant"

*Why is he saying it audibly?*

' _no idea_ '

You couldn't remember much of what happened next, except that you pet him so much that his neck reached the ceiling of the underground and back, digging about five feet into the snowy dirt.

His tail was going to fall off with all of that petting. It looked ready to mutilate any unsuspecting monster.

*I still can't believe you would pet that much. You have a problem, frisk*

' _But he was so soft!_ '

*You don't just touch people's fur, missy! You became a serial petter!*

' _Awww…_ ' You pouted to no one.

*First Doggo now Lesser Dog? Who else will fall to your crime spree?*

*Yer grounded. No talking for a minute.*

' _kay. 1-2-3- a minute._ '

*You and your darn loopholes* ghostie sounded like she was joking, so you relaxed a bit.

[Stay determined..]


	11. The start of an end, and ongoing starts

You walked around the cleared puzzle with numb hands, but a warm heart.

This was a map, you supposed. There was a sunken part where the solution was, and the models were underneath a careful casing of glass. It was modeled well too, they even included the trees and rocks, and a mini tree-camera!

The Tree-Camera was just as elusive as the original. Ah, parenthood.

The solution was a red X between some trees. It looked a bit like a treasure map of sorts, now that you thought about it.

Using your trusty camera, you took a photo of the map. You could already imagine telling your grandma about the map and how it looked like treasure and how you were going to sign everything and you were going to tell her about the glass and the details and-

*You Dork.*

 _'_ _like you could do any better at being a dork.'_ you thought playfully.

*Heh. Just you watch.*

*Arrg matey, we be sailing the seven seas to reach the booty; our freedom!* Ghostie's voice sounded scratchy and rough, but surely enough she sounded like a pirate. You played along. This was fun to do!

 _'_ _Aye Aye Captain!'_ You whooshed around like you were in the rough and choppy seas, finding a stray leaf and placing it over your left eye like an eyepatch.

*This is too much hehe—Ahem!—MAN THIS SHIP AT FULL FORCE! THIS IS THE—uh… what should we name the ship?*

 _'_ _How about the S.S Biscuit?'_

*S.S Frisket it is! THIS IS THE S.S FRISKET! FULL BLAST!*

 _'_ _AYE AYE CAPTAIN!'_ You dashed over to the two trees at full speed, before stopping halfway to gasp for air- because the S.S Frisket only runs for the last slice of pizza, then speed walking to the two trees and slumping on the snow with a plop.

"Looks like someone had too many popato chisps"

Sans.

You looked up to find him snickering at the left tree, and you gave him the look that can scare two year olds into giving you twinkies.

(Though that was an accident, the twinkies were tasty. It was a bad day.)

*But nothing happened.* a small, tired sigh echoed in your head.

When that didn't work (his poker face was too good) you scooped up some snow and chucked it at his direction.

Remember your immense fail at anything catch? Same with throwing anything. It went up to 3 feet away, then just plopped on the floor.

"You shouldn't hit other monsters!" Scolded the small snowman in your pocket.

Sans' smile just grew wider, and you plopped your head back on the snow with a groan.

"Aw, cheer up kid, the switch is right there."

He pointed to a switch that was two feet away from you.

 _'_ _Ain't nobody got time for standing up'_

So you did the second best option, of course.

Rolling over to the switch.

It wasn't even a frisket quality roll; it was more like when you make a car with triangular wheels.

Finally, you reached the switch in a record time of 30 seconds, and you flipped the switch with one very 'not up to it' hand.

Before groaning again into a snow poff.

Turns out it was a very fluffy dog. It liked you almost instantly. It sighed a bit while nuzzling your forehead. It was cute and all, but its cold nose tickled a bit as well.

The snowman in your pocket was sighing at your display of laziness but wasn't complaining. Sure, you rolled over, but you made sure not to squish him.

Sans just chuckled and fell asleep next to the tree he leaned on. Good.

Lets be honest, you weren't even tired anymore.

You slowly got up off of the doggie, giving it a small pine branch to nibble on as a toy. It followed you now! You always wanted a dog, like in Lilo and Stitch! Only Lilo got the coolest dog ever.

*True.. and you got stuck with me-*

But, you got a cool friend down here, so that's even better.

*So, what should we name the dog..?*

She changed the subject.

Looking at the bundle of Pomeranian floof, you decided to name it Toby.

*How come?* she yawned slightly, her voice sounded a bit weary.

 _'_ _There was a really nice kid named Toby in my neighborhood! He shared his snacks with me sometimes.'_

*I guess food is the only way into your heart after all.* another yawn.

 _'_ _Ghostie, why don't you rest a little? I'll be fine. '_

*if you must insist so heavily~*

Her presence was faint, but still there **.**

Sure, it was a bit lonely, but you'd manage. After all, every navigator needs a break once in a while.

Even though she had slept multiple times in your journey, she still deserved rest.

You had a feeling there was more to the underground than just Snowdin and the Ruins.

Beckoning Toby closer, you explored the rest of the place.

TW: This be very sad and trigger worthy. Sorries -u-

* * *

 **The plan wasn't going to be simple.**

An idea with so many flaws. One mistake could make both of them leave empty-handed, killed, or worse, near **him**.

He knew about a war coming. He knew that.. so why did he side with the monsters?

Why did he betray them?

Why was he so sure of himself? Why did he think that he could take all six of them by himself?

Did he think that he would get backup?

I shook myself from my thoughts. Though my memories were foggy, there was something wrong. A heavy feeling like gunk and lead coated my SOUL. Like everything would collapse if I didn't do something like this.

Monsters could absorb human souls. Toriel had admitted it through teary eyes, said "I was afraid you would fear us, my dear child. I'm sorry for keeping the truth from you"

If… if Asriel absorbed my soul… he would be powerful.

We would be able to.. _retrieve_ some _more_ souls.

Asriel, being the pacifist he was, he wasn't going to go with a plan like that.

Maybe he'd do that if I lied. If I convinced him so that he would do so out of the purity in his heart.

Heh... 'purity'. Such a clean, pretty word.

Something I never had. I'm not a good person. But I've come to terms with those thoughts in my own pace.

If I just _died_ , maybe I could give him my SOUL?

Dread filled my chest, I still didn't know the brunt of what my mind was so calmly suggesting.

I let out a shuddered breath, holding in tears because Azzy was always a light sleeper.

I glanced back at him, creamy white fur, silky droopy ears, tear streaks below his emerald eyes (that crybaby. I keep telling him to stop crying, cuz soon there's gonna be a day where those tear streaks are permanent. Jeez)

And a peaceful face. A small contented bleat came from his direction, then he bucked off his fuzzy flower comforter. He must have been dreaming that "hyperdeath" dream again. Such a kid. Hehe.. Puns.

I got up quietly, grabbing the fallen comforter and draping it across his small frame yet again. It got chilly here sometimes and a sneezing goat, though adorable, is not a happy thought.

Did I really want to end all of this?

I sat back on my bed, noting almost for the first time how fuzzy my comforters were. As if I woke up from a dream, I noticed all of the small luxuries in every single _corner_ of the house. Heated floors, yummy foods, that GOOD toilet paper, everything being way ahead of the world above in almost every aspect..

I could stay here… it wouldn't be so bad, right?...

But, that would be selfish. We would still be trapped.

We still wouldn't get our rightfully deserved _retribution._

I forgot how long I had just stayed on my bed, just thinking about everything. Maybe it was just minutes, maybe hours. But it was enough to convince my _stupid_ self to do this.

I got up from bed, walking slowly. Creeping down the halls in the same way I did when I ran away. I was close to the stairs, reaching the rails and trying not to vomit.

Mom is right there… I can just go to her and it will be better… right?

A grim, agonizing thought whispered dark ideas in my ear.

 ** _That's won't fix anythung._**

 ** _You already tried to do it. Just try once more._**

 ** _Just go and do it. Coward._**

 ** _Selfish_**

 ** _D_**

 ** _E_**

 ** _M_**

 ** _O_**

 ** _N_**

 _Don't cry._

 _Not now._

 _Don't cry._

 _My legs shook. I couldn't stand up without gripping onto the railings._

 ** _Breathe don't cry._**

 **Breathe.**

 ** _Don't cr—dammit._**

Fat, salty tears hit the floor. Soft, muted hiccups escaped my lips, body shaking like a leaf.

I plopped on the floor and cried.

I cried like a baby.

I cried, but I didn't **dare** make a sound.

I cried, knowing just what was awaiting if I went to that garden.

I cried, knowing I'd resign everything and everyone who I had grown to love. Who I had let break down the walls I put around myself.

And then The tears stopped. I was numb.

It was like the dam of tears had already been broken before.

...

 _"_ _Chara..? How did you fall down?" Said a squeaky voice._

 _You looked up to see Asriel looking back at you, taking the attention away from your self-portrait._

 _"_ _Its.. Its nothing to worry about, azzy." You looked away. Those eyes of his, though innocent, were so hard to lie to._

 _But they couldn't know._

 _None of them could._

 _Your hand barely let you color in the red scribble known as your hair with the crayon. You added fangs for good measure. Not horns. You mashed the crayon tip on the wrinkling paper until the tip broke._

 _Horns are for good kids._

 _..._

It was hard to breathe.

And nobody came.

The flowers almost killed the king of monsters…

 **Perfect.**

Only a few more turns through the halls.

Any suspecting gaze from a traveling monster was avoided. If I had let myself get seen… I would probably have broken down.

This is for monsterkind.

Almost as if I were in a trance, I was already at the garden. Beautiful, golden flowers stood in front of me. Innocent little flowers, gazing up at me with the sweetest gaze. Asking me with a smile if I really had a death wish.

I reached for one, every single bit of self-preservation was _screaming_ at me, shrieking for me to just STOP and get help.

They faded away as soon as I touched a petal.

I plucked one off its velvety stem. The yellow, soft petals held me in wonder for a while, and then..

 **I**

 **Took**

 **A**

 **Bite.**

* * *

As you were exploring, You noticed that the entire area was really an elevated series of hills. The gaps between each snow bridge was intimidating, and looking down there made your knees buckle up and freeze in place.

Toby looked at you, concerned and confused. He yipped a few times, trying to get your attention and to try and get to know what was wrong.

Remembering about the bridge incident, you decided to back up slowly, step after step. One... another... a few more...

As soon as you were a good six feet away, you took a deep breath and walked away to the next areas. Toby still had an oddly concerned look in his eyes, but he said nothing. You gave him a few pats and walked on to where you and ghostie found the puzzle solution.

Oddly enough, it was covered in yet another layer of snow, and like before it was badly concealed.

Shrugging it off, you walked past the holes where the spikes were, and walked into a clearing with some strange marks on the floor.

Before you could say anything, two monsters jumped out of the blue. One was small, shaped like a blueberry, now that you saw it clearly. It was pale grey, with an orange nose and the strangest hat on its head shaped like a spiked glacier.

The other one, however looked absolutely horrifying. It had slimy looking skin, an ugly scowl and a weird shaped head. Its tentacles had little fingers coated in previously licked cheese dust, and there were dirty tissues littering where he stood.

Toby walked over to where the cheeto offender was, giving him a quick sniff and growling immediately. He then trotted away, shaking his head and sticking his muzzle in snow before dashing off to who knows where.

A nasal voice came from the tentacle clad monster.

"Owh, sorryy. I haven't showered in a while, heh"

You needed help with such a dire situation!

 _'_ _GHOSTIE HELP THERES SOMETHING HERE AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA'_

*WHAT WAIT WHERE HOW WHAT HAPPENED—*

 _'_ _Yer alive!'_

*…*

*FRISK HOW DARE YOU. INTERRUPTING MY SLEEP BECAUSE OF JERRY.*

*JERRY. OF ALL MONSTERS.*

 _'_ _I needed help knowing their names. '_

A facepalm echoed in your thoughts, the smack resounding to only you and you alone.  
*Fine. IceCap appears! Jerry came too.*

You looked at IceCap. He looked very uncomfortable. Jerry kept on poking them and saying "im not touching you though" with a snorty chuckle.

You decided to press the act button, and you looked at your options.

[Jerry]

*Ditch

*Check.

Ditching jerry might be rude though... Maybe he isnt that bad?

*Jerry eats a powdery food and licks his hands loudly, before snorting and poking IceCap some more with his cheesy fingers.*

"Stop touching my hat! Your hands are gross!" Exclaimed IceCap.

"Ohh okay" Jerry wiped his hands on his odd head, so now he had orange stains on his face...body? Thing?

"Now I'm not touching you.. Heuh *snorrrt* hagh"

Nevermind. He has to go.

*Agreed. Ugh. *

"The WiFi here suuuuucks." said Jerry in a low drawl.

*Jerry blows his nose with his hands, and wipes it on his jeans... or whatever it is that is covering his lower.. uh torso? thing?*

A few other monsters who were walking around also got repulsed by his display.

You hit the *Ditch option with all of your volition.

*You and the other monsters ditch jerry!*

The monsters cheered! Some even threw some confetti your way! You grabbed a scrap of the confetti and to your surprise, on it was a poorly written word.

'TeMFlakEszzz!1!11 tm'

You pocketed the construction paper. It could be useful later on.

IceCap was busy soaking up the attention, giving a speech about how amazing his hat was. You let him be, Sparing him in the process.

You also took a photo of him being showered in confetti. Turns out he was really photogenic.

"Yes! MY CAP IS SO AMAZING THAT I HAVE MY OWN PAPARAZZI!"

*I have no idea what to think about that entire interaction.. But hell. That was hilarious!*

 _'_ _I just hope I don't see Jerry anymore.'_ You shuddered at the thought of having to deal with him again.

*Oh, and Frisk?*

 _'_ _Yes Ghostie?'_

*Wake me up like that again and I swear ill find a way to slap you. Capiche?*

 _'_ _Loud and clear.. Hehe..'_

Thankfully the fight was so short nobody attacked you, but you were still low on some health. Remembering that monster foods could heal magic-induced wounds, you rummaged around your pockets for another monster candy (while making sure to be careful with the small snowman.)

Popping one in your mouth, you walked over to the last clearing. None of these had bridges.. Hopefully you could talk to someone about fixing that. Its dangerous!

Ghostie was still pretty upset about you scaring her like that, but hopefully some small talk could break the tension.

 _'_ _..By the way, ghostie?'_

*Mm.* She wasn't very amused.

 _'_ _How did you know Jerry's name?'_

*..He wasn't always like this, you know. Before monsters were locked up, he had a little sister to take care of and things were better for him.*

That was hard to imagine.

*It was hard to imagine him being like this now too. But the humans got his sister somehow, and he had to snitch on the monsters to get her back.*

 _'_ _..Where's his sister?'_

* **The humans lied**. His little reputation was diminished, and now he just does this.*

The air felt thick yet again. Why would the humans do that? Why did they trap monsters in the underground? Why was this happening?

*I don't Know either, Frisky.*

You barely had time to think about other things before two doglike monsters ran around the small space.

They each carried fearsome axes, and they prowled the area around you in an oddly keen way.

*What are they... FRISK! They're sniffing the air to try and find you!*

You could barely make a few more steps to the end of the clearing before the two stopped moving.

Right next to either side of you.

"I think this is a human scent! Bork"

A prodding muzzle sniffed your hair.

"This IS a human scent! Attack! Boof"

And so your SOUL was out yet again.

Instinctively pressing ACT, you checked your options.

*Dogamy

*Dogaressa

'hm... which should I pick Ghostie?'

*Dogamy? He has a cool mustache.*

Selecting Dogamy, you saw a pet option. You picked that one in a heartbeat.

You walked over to the cloaked pupper and gave it a quick pat, but this interaction was very unwelcome, since he swung his axe in your direction.  
You jumped away immediately, running back to the farther end of the tennis court.

*I TOLD YOU TO STOP PETTING.*

 _'_ _I CANT HELP ITTT'_

"BACK OFF WEIRD SCENT! Bork"

Their turn started.

From what you've gathered in the ruins, you knew that magic attacks only aimed for the SOUL. You shielded the little red heart with all of your might and dodged the twin axes as well as you could.

You had nothing to defend yourself with.. And you didnt want to hurt them. They're just doing their job and they wanna be together. Who were you to just hurt them? If your grandma was punched by some random kid you would feel horrible.

Grandma...

You didn't notice your SOUL glowing brighter, or the energy newly flowing in your limbs, but you had to get past them. And you were going to do it right.

*Remember the list of smells we found? Try getting into the snow or something to make them stop sniffing you! I think they have bad eyesight like doggo.*

 _'_ _Good idea!'_

You narrowly missed an enormous axe that almost squished you, sliding into the snow to avoid it.

The cold was biting, but in your heart burned a fire. It fueled your veins and gave you the will to pass this. It warmed you and filled you with...

*determination.*

Ghostie's voice was silent, but the words lingered in your head.

You briefly scanned the area for anything that could aid you in smelling like a dog, while praying that you didnt smell like jerry.

And aha!

You found your trump card!

Thankfully it was inside the 'tennis court' too. You proceeded with your plan.

You ran over to a patch of uncovered muddy snow, rolling in it, putting some in your hair, on your face (around the eyes, nose, mouth and ears of course! A/N: Actually, never do this at all. Actually, never do what frisk is doing. Frisk, you bad, bad role model. BUT. BE PACIFISTIC. I THINK. JUST LISTEN TO YOUR PARENTS AND YER GUCCI.) and your cargo shorts.

You never got a smudge of the mud on your sweater though. That was hand knit by grandma and you weren't going to ruin it. Though it was thin and slightly stretched, you'd love it till the day you died.

Oh wait...

You'd love it for as long as you existed.

You remember watching her crochet the sweater, knit the collar, and embroider little flower designs on the sleeves. She worked for days on it and it was instantly like a security blanket. Its like you're holding a small piece of her even now.

The cargo shorts are kinda eh. They're made for some toil, and some mud can wash out.

Your turn ended with that, and then the Doge Couple attacked again.

Duck,

Slide,

Dodge,

Maneuver-

Before you could finish dodging the last axe, it nicked your soul painfully. You lost 7 HP just from one hit...

*Frisk! Get it together!*

You snapped out of your thoughts just in time to avoid another axe that was hurtling towards you. The momentum made you stumble and fall on your side, and your SOUL came to view. It pulsed strongly, but the pain subsided after a few seconds.

*Do you think we should.. Attack? I dont know how we can get out of this mess..*

 _'_ _No.'_

You REFUSED to hurt them.

Pressing the ACT button, you pressed the *RE-SNIFF option and you froze in place when the Tennis Court Faded. The two dogs came closer, and closer, and **closer..**

And they sniffed your hair once more.

"This... Is this a Puppy?"

"Oh god... DOGAMY WE HURT A PUP"

"WE HURT A PUP?!"  
They both kneeled to be level to what they thought was your eye level, which was off by a foot and they both said soft apologies before freezing slightly.

"Why is this puppy so silent?"

Your blood ran cold.

"No puppy has been so quiet before. Its freaking me out Dogaressa."

"oh nononononononono please don't tell me we...dusted them" Said dogaressa in a hushed, yet horrified tone.

*oh god what do we do? What if they do a dog funeral? What even is a dog funeral?*

You're gonna hate yourself for this. You knew it.

"B-Bork—Bork" There. Your throat constricted painfully, but you held your breath. You can't cough. Don't cough.

It took every ounce of willpower not to erupt into a coughing fit, but somehow you lasted through them apologizing and walking away.

You searched for a corner to hide in, away from any monsters, away from any battle sites, and away from puzzles.

And then you coughed.

A lot.

Your throat felt like it was tearing up bit by bit, and every single time you did, you spat up blood.

It stained the previously white snow in front of you an ugly red.

*oh god..! Oh go- OKAY. Frisk breathe! Calm down!*

You frantically searched for the inhaler in your pocket. It was here before you didn't understand please tell me I didn't lose it in the fight you just needed to know where wAS IT-

A familiar, yet terrifying shadow came from behind you, with an even scarier voice.. At least to you, that is.

"Looking for this kid?"

* * *

 **A/N: Ah, what a beautiful Cliffhanger! I just wanna say I am so glad that you guys have been enjoying DC up to now! You guys make my day and I read every single review I get here! I felt pretty sick writing Jerry's battle.. it was pretty ugly to write. bleh.**


	12. Communication is important, he says

Snow was falling lazily down upon Snowdin that day. The birds were singing, Papyrus was cooking and everything was pretty calm. The dogs were heading to Grillby's after their lookouts, Gyftrot was in a better mood, monster kids were nice n' cozy in their homes. It was one of those days where you know you can just take it easy. Heck, even Papyrus' food was something to look forward to, and that's saying something.

Everything is calm down here. You don't have to work too hard, or get too far outta' your comfort zone. Just relax, pop a few jokes and enjoy with everyone else, I guess. 'Perfect place for a guy like me.' I thought.

Snowdin is a very lighthearted town, really. It was one of the reasons why I had chosen to live there with Papyrus. The residents were never too nosy, nor were they too distant. It was a pleasant town with flexible ideals. The monsters over there are so diverse too, so a pair of skeletons shouldn't be of much trouble, right?

Turns out the monsters there were pretty down. Not a fraction of how it is now, actually. So what better than to crack some jokes and lighten the mood? What's some good food without some bad laughs to top it off? I had no idea, but it must not be as fun, that's for sure.

Me and Papyrus were both from the Capitol; living in a small, yet manageable apartment with a vast view. The rent was easy to manage, but there had been some missing links.. some slivers of a lost memory that we both once had. Memories of a warm home in a snowy village, and someone who we never even knew we lost.

Needless to say, it was pretty hard to handle. Plus the apartment had a really big amount of spiders, and lord knows how much I had already spent on tea. You have to be hospitable, after all. Soon, even the neighbors had become blurry faces, Aaron had moved in next door, and things were way too loud.

The last straw was when Papyrus came with a cracked femur. The other kids had told him to do some stunts, said they'd seen a skeleton before. Trying to please the crowd, he tried to jump a fence, and the rest is history. This is where I understood just how important communication is, and Papyrus also learned this as well.

He always had a kind of issue like that. Always trying to please others and not thinkin' about himself.

I decided to try homeschooling Paps from that point. He graduated with honors. Confetti an' all. Even some cupcakes shaped like meatballs. I think they're called donut holes.

Soon, I had found the perfect house. Sure, it had some messy parts, but don't we all got some rough edges? It was pretty big, and maybe I could pay for it with a good loan and some of my notorious entrepreneurship. Water sausages looked just like hotdogs, if you shaved 'em… heh..

Papyrus decorated the home, added some pretty good art, Christmas lights, heck, even painted the sign for the librar…by..

I had never been prouder.

Soon, the town had become happier, if even a bit. The gloomy monsters greeted eachother more often, soon making a tradition of giving and sharing to make the small village more united. Gyftmas. I would have to tell the kids not to 'decorate' Gyftrot though.. that ain't very good.

So that's what happened. Now the place just seems warm, despite the cold. I can't really feel the cold. What's that like? I read a few books on humans that fell down. Apparently, they have temperature sensors and all that jazz. Fancy. The fangs and bat wings seem a bit over exaggerated though. Cool cape, I guess.

…Humans, eh? I remembered seeing a few back in the capitol. Some blue eyed kid was prancing around with a warm look in her eye. Another that looked like a cowboy, with a… darker expression. Dust coated at least one part of that kid's attire. I felt sick, but what was I supposed to do? I can't protect myself or stop them. Papyrus needs me too. The best thing I can do is leave it to the others to work it out.

Is what I said. I can't do anything worthwhile to fix a problem. Might as well let someone else do it; they can do it better.

The one thing I knew only I could do though, was my passion. Science. I can read through tons of books and not get tired. The ways things can change with just an action, the idea of time and how it works. Quantum Physics was what I specialized in.

I stopped looking at his machine when I found out this wasn't the first time I had been in- what's happening..? No.. No-! NO WAIT!-

* * *

Papyrus was cooking downstairs, humming a peppy tone that he always sung while cooking. It was like that song resonated with his soul. I had a similar one, but it was seldom sung. Didn't really sit right being sung aloud. I looked around my room and saw my familiar tornado. It was a funny gag, really. I found a way to make it by creating two points where wind would certainly hit a point and collide, keeping an endless shortcut open to keep the wind flowing openly. It was in a constant loop.

'Constant loop'... That sounds familiar. The thought made my ribcage tighten slightly, but I ignored the feeling.

Getting up and putting on my trusty parka and slippers (while making sure I wore an undershirt, gotta be PG.) I got out and ate some of Papyrus' special Breakfasketti. It was frosting and pasta mixed together, with the tomato sauce ruthlessly mixed in. Topped with sequins to make a healthy meal, of course. I can eat anything if I put my mind to it, and if it means making my brother happy, I will eat the dang sequins.

I took a shortcut to the Ruins; walking to and from Snowdin to go to that purple door was too much work, after all. I looked at the door, a slight flutter in my chest as I walked to sit on that same patch of snow.

There was something really heartwarming about sitting and just talking about anything. No needing to worry about eye contact, or anything like that. Say how ya doing, what might be bothering you, or if you don't wanna talk, just crack some jokes to lighten the mood. I have been doing this little skit for a long time.

To be honest, I don't even know how old I am anymore.. But every time I come back here I feel like a kid again. Now that I think about it, I had a fun childhood. Pranking, selling some wacky treats, and then telling da-

What..? I don't have a dad. Me and Papyrus were raised by the... What?

My memory is choppy. I guess I really am old.. Heh..

Well, best time is the present.

"Knock knock" I said, hitting the door in its familiar pace.

* * *

I noticed something was wrong with the lady. She wasn't laughing, hardly talkative and was losing her train of thought. I would usually just say the same thing, laugh it off and say that someone else can help her out, since eh, I can't do much, right?

 _..How many monsters are in the Ruins anyway..?_

Sighing, I dropped the question.

"You okay lady?"

This seemed to snap her out of whatever she was thinking in record time. Good for you, Sans. Good for you.

"Hm? Oh, pardon friend, I was quite deep in thought. I should be going now, to do…"

Hm.. What is she going to do, exactly?

"To do what?" I said. I am usually never so nosy... Mostly because I don't have a nose, but still. Humans were known for coming through the ruins. Sentries like me were always notified about such things. If she was commiting treason...

Well, hey, I wouldn't tell. I mean, why should I? She's a nice lady, probably wouldn't hurt a fly, by the looks of it. I ain't ruinin' that for her.

"I will go attend to a pie I have been baking. I have been baking one to give to the spiders as a gift for their services."

"Please don't tell them though, it's a surprise!"

See? No problem there. I'll ignore that for now. A small feeling in the back of my thoughts registered Toriel's excuse as a lie, but I didn't pay it any mind.

"Oh, okay lady. But one more thing." This was gonna be the best joke in the books.

"Ooh, haha. Who is there?" My grin got a bit wider.

"Pie"

"Pie who?"

"Goodpie lady. Have a nice day. And you 'Crust' tell me your recipe, it would warm my 'tart'."

"Goodpie, friend. That was 'berry' clever of you! Hehe."

I don't remember much after that, really. Took a shortcut to Grillby's, ate a burger drowned in ketchup because hey, you only live once, right?

Something told me otherwise.

That's it. Ive been feeling pretty cruddy today. Im going to that dang machine to see what's up. But.. Why use a shortcut? Ill just.. Walk over there. Mull some things over. Today felt.. Odd. It feels like today and yesterday happened and didn't happen. It's strange.

Walking helps settle some things though, so that's cool. I started looking at all the sights while I walked around a bit.

It was a beautiful, snowy day. Snowdrakes were singing, pine trees are growing, and on days like these, skeletons like me should take it easy.

Everything is calm down here. You don't have to work too hard, or get too far outta' your comfort zone. 'Perfect place for a guy like me.'

Snowdin is a very lighthearted town, really. It was one of the reasons why I had chosen to live there with Papyrus. The residents were never too nosy, nor were they too distant. It was a pleasant town with flexible ideals.

I Froze in my tracks. Cold sweat ran down my skull as I remembered that this wasn't the only time 'today' happened. I immediately took a 'shortcut' to the machine. I turned on the old clunker and found...

* * *

I woke up like normal, but the day felt so...tense. Papyrus was making breakfasketti, but I didn't feel like eating it today with how uneasy I felt. I opened the window and looked outside to see if it could calm my mind a bit.

It was a beautiful, snowy day. Snowdrakes were singing, pine trees are blooming, and on days like these, skeletons like me should take it easy.

The headache came again.

I jumped through a shortcut to the machine to find that the same day happened 3 times. As if once wasn't enough? Who was doing this?

I went to the Ruins, skipping Papyrus' breakfasketti. I told him to save it for the humans if any come. He said something about reheating it outside. Eh, we don't need a microwave, so why say no to his fun?

We did the same charade, I do some jokes, the lady does some too and we talk about everything and anything... but.. She wasn't laughing as much, even when I said my notorious joke:

"Why do dogs like bones? Because they are 'hard' to quit!"

"O-Oh! Ha.. ha… That is a wonderful joke, friend.."

That ain't right...

"You okay, lady? You aren't acting like yourself."

"Nonsense! Now, listen to my joke. Why did the skeleton want friends?"

"..Why?" My voice went on a flatter tone.

"Because she was feeling 'bonely'!" Forced laughs and a fake cheer.

"Don't you ever get lonely there lady? I don't think the ruins are very busy."

"I'm fine, dear." That tone sounded anything but happy.

"You don't sound like it. If you want, you can take a rest at home." Being sick ain't fun. I don't want her to stress out 'cause of me.

"But I'm okay, friend."

"You don't exactly sound okay, lady" I pressed.

"Ah, I cannot hide anything from you, huh?" Her voice was getting kind of choked up.

"You okay?" I heard her take a deep breath before talking in a very formal way.

"Sentry of Snowdin town."

What..?

"Yes Lady?" I sat up straighter, the mood was anything but casual. Titles ain't my thing. I prefer just being called Sans, or some wacky nickname. Those are easier to bear with.

"I can trust, you, right?"

"W-wait what's wrong, lady?" this was really sudden-

"Can I trust you?" she repeated yet again.

"Yes. Yes you can. We are friends, ain't we?" My accent still slipped out though I tried to maintain a formal tone.

"Then promise me something."

"What is it?"

"Friend. If you ever see a human walk by these doors, please, promise me. Watch over them and protect them. Will you not?"

I stayed silent for a long time. Do I really want to do this? Promises were a commitment. A decision that you have to be ready to make. It's a burden to carry, and I'm not sure if I wanna have somethin' weighing me down like that, protecting a human and all. Doesn't she know I can't fight?

Someone else can do it better than me.

But... She trusts me too. She knows fully well what Sentries do. It ain't pretty. Maybe I'm the only one she can trust down here.

Im her friend. Might as well act like one for once. Humans, huh..? Maybe they ain't so bad.

"Okay lady. I promise."

I then walked over to Grillbys. Ate a burger, did a cool comedy skit and went to my different jobs. I even pranked Shyren this time with the telescope, so it was a good day. Now, I gotta check back at Snowdin before Undyne snaps at me.

I saw the door glowing and melting in a vicious orange glow. What was happening in there? Small sobs and hurt words were the last things that would ever escape that door.

A cruel snap echoed from the inside of the door, with a choked gasp before everything faded to black-

* * *

I woke up in my sentry station. The same pine wood with a grain so memorable that I know how many lines it has by soul. 32 lines on the desk, 28 on the hood of the station, 56 on the walls and 43 on the front. You could say I've been here a while, heh.

I looked in front to see some Snowdrakes flutter by. One a pale red and another a milky yellow. They squawked and wanted me to play ball. Now I don't know about you, but I'm not really up for things like those. I prefer to be that guy sellin' peanuts to the monsters watching the game.

Its safer.

I told them no, but I did give em' some sunflower seed packets I found in the station. Maybe one of the dogs left it here when we were switching posts.

I heard some talking through the door, as well as a glow coming from between the cracks of the ancient woodwork. Shadows danced under the door in the shape of flames and stopped as soon as they came in an almost rhythmic pattern. Was she fighting? Who was she fighting then?

A few tense moments later, someone emerged from the long-closed ruins.

And it was there where I knew I had to choose between a promise, or my job.

* * *

"Looking for this, kid?"

You flinched, jumping up and freezing to the point that you were immediately rigid. Your breathing quickened and you felt sick.

How were you going to cover this up before he inevitably finds out? The snow in front of you was red and melting because at least some part of you was still warm blooded. He was right behind you and for some reason his presence felt so much more terrifying.

You felt like you were shaking, which you probably were. A long, eerie pause kept you on your toes. You got up, still not facing Sans.

You can't just run again. That doesn't solve anything and he is going to know for sure that something is up. You wiped your mouth with a tissue in your pocket. Hopefully that can make it less obvious, though that was wishful thinking on your part. You kicked some snow on the mess in front of you. It was still red.

Ghostie was panicking and all you heard was a small little "eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee" in the back of your head.

Nice to know you are so good at planning, Ghostie. You are so smart in times of peril. The "eeeeeee" sound became slightly higher in pitch.

"Uh.. Kid? Whats wrong?" he said with fake-concern. You knew it was fake. He wouldn't really be worried.

You wiped your mouth and turned around to face him.

He looked at you with an almost critical glare. Like he was scanning you for something.

You stiffened again. It was over. You didn't know what he was going to do but you know it isn't good.

"Like I said before, I don't know about humans but.. Why din't you say anythin'?"

You wanted to cry.

"Asthma is pretty serious mate. Don'tcha' know humans can die from that? Take care of yourself. Here."

He didn't see what was behind you, which was an ugly sight to see, but he grabbed your hand and gave you the inhaler before disappearing. How does he walk so fast?

You turned around and didn't see him anywhere. It hurt to breathe.

Looking around to make sure he wasn't anywhere, you ate some snow and very promptly used your inhaler. One breath, another.

The tightness on your neck subsided, and the raw feeling in your throat was soon numb. Whatever was in that inhaler, you were glad it was there. The only thing you weren't glad about was the taste; it was bitter and slightly gag-inducing if you pondered on it for enough time. Grabbing a monster candy and popping it in your mouth, you sat down and tried to calm down the still anxious Ghostie.

*Oh god oh god oh god oh god that was so close I thought we were caught and I don't know why my heart is beating because I literally don't have one-*

 _'Its over now, Ghostie. Don't worry, okay? I'm fine. Everything is fine. '_

*But-*

 _'Repeat after me, kay?'_

*..kay..*

 _'Everything Is fine.'_

*Everything is fine. Oh god Frisk I was so worried..*

 _'It's okay now. Its okay.'_

*…yeah…*

You decided to walk onward from the corner you hid in after making sure that the patch of bloodied snow was completely covered. You also gave Ghostie a few minutes to calm down. Looking around, Sans wasn't anywhere near this clearing. You shuddered from the cold that was making itself an evident threat in your escapade from the underground. Luckily, your camera could fix that in juuuust a second.

You selected the defrost option and soon enough, it was warming the entire area to the point that the snow underneath you melted to reveal a light grey rock underneath. You leaned next to a tree and practically hugged the camera to get whatever heat you could from it.

It felt like heaven against the cold. Your numbed fingers were soon buzzing back to life and your shivering stopped quite a bit.

{DEFROST COMPLETE. YOU MAY PROCEED.}

*Aww man. Its over. That sucks.*

Unfortunately enough, it was. You had to start using the defrost option sparingly though. The snowman can't handle heat very well after all, and not only that, but your camera only had so much battery power. From now on you will need to start braving the cold.

You shivered at the thought. It was like your own body was complaining about the situation on hand. You were hungry (though you were eating the sunflower seeds on the way, it was barely filling.) cold, tired, and you really needed a bath.  
How do adventurers do it? There was never a show or a book where they talked about normal things, or heck, took a break and just played video games for the day. To be honest, you were starting to get jealous of those explorers. They make travel sound so flawless.

You sighed yet again, and continued walking, albeit slightly slouched to the next clearing. But before doing that, you changed the camera back from its old form into a small tourist camera yet again and walked on into the great unknown!

You took 3 steps into the great unknown and started sneezing afterward.

Papyrus was in the distance, but some spikes blocked the path to him. There was also a small sign next to the path you came from.

*TURN EVERY X INTO AN O TO PROCEED.*

 _'How do I do that?'_ You peered into the puzzle from behind the rocks. Two X's were indeed marked on the clearings, but unlike before there weren't any switches or levers to pull. The spikes were huge and girthy, but hardly blunt. You walked over and touched one lightly to see how sharp it was, but Papyrus just grabbed your hand and turned you over to face the puzzle. He didn't say anything, probably so he wouldn't reveal the puzzle.

 _'Ghostie?'_

*Well, what if this is one of those things you have to step on? Makes sense, since there aren't any other things to grab. *

 _'I always wanted to try one of those! Lucky me!'_ You thought, patting yourself on the back like so. You walked toward the large neon X tentatively, carefully calculating your distance and how you would step on it, putting in possible outcomes from the way you step on it, checking the possibilities based on the number of dogs in the atmosphere-

And then Ghostie took control and made you step on it, ruining your Frisk-thagorean theory like so. The X turned into an O without delay, and you groaned at how anticlimactic the entire situation was. You could hear her giggling at her obvious betrayal as you glared at the innocent little O with a look of mock contempt.

*Hehe I had to! I wish I could see the look on your face right now! HA!*

You sighed, gaining your composure once more. It was worth it if she was laughing, at least.

 _'Don't press the other switch, ghostie. '_

*Fine. No promises if you take more than 30 seconds to press it though.*

 _'Thats fair.'_

And so you were in front of another switch yet again, looking at it with a calculating glare. You held your chin and stroked an imaginary beard. Also, you called yourself Einstein.

*Really Frisk?*

 _'Einstein, to you, little miss apparition.'_

*Excuse you, Einstein, but I really want us to move on already.* Ghostie sounded mildly annoyed, but probably from boredom.

 _'Can't you see the SCIIIIEEEENNNCEEEE behind such a beautifully crafted puzzle such as this?'_

*..Well I guess it is kinda cool.. *

 _'To be honest I don't even know how it works. How does it even know that im stepping on it?'_

*Touch sensors, maybe?* She sounded slightly intrigued. Maybe you were finally getting her in the pretending mood?

 _'I also really like how shiny it is!'._

*That's kinda cool, i'll admit it Frisky. *

 _'Okay now I'm getting bored myself.'_

*I KNEW IT!*

 _'Lets step on it on 3.. 2... 1!'_

You jumped onto the board with Ghostie with half of the control and finished the puzzle! You changed the camera to drone mode and took a selfie of yourself next to the finished puzzle.

*I mean.. All you did was step on two boards-*

 _'Shush.'_

The spikes all went down with a 'SHINK' and a 'CLAKCK' and papyrus was now in reach. He was standing idly, looking at something in the distance. At your current stature, you couldn't see much of what papyrus was looking at, but you did call for his attention.

"AHA! LITTLE HUMAN! HELLO THERE! ER-"

How come he was acting like he didn't just see you? Eh, you shrugged it off.

He cleared his throat comically before drawing two lines in pencil above his eye sockets. Instant angry eyebrows! In red, of course. Since red is OBVIOUSLY the angry color here. He was looking for something in his armor though. You looked at him curiously.

*HEY! Didn't you forget? You hath offend thy apparition friend.*

 _'LE GASP! Forgive me, thy highness'_  
*You're forgiven. I'm just wondering, how does he clear his throat if he has none?*  
 _'The world may never know, Ghostie. Just like how many licks it takes to get into a tootsie pop. Its impossible not to bite the dang thing.'_

*I'm not even gonna ask.*

Once Papyrus finally got out his ruler, marker and for some reason, marinara sauce, he made perfectly straight eyebrows with master presicion. The thing is, they were so precise that he forgot to make them angry. Upon noticing this, he made another line tilted on top of that first line, covering the perfect eyebrows with his hands to switch from angry to idle.

And the marinara sauce? He dabbed that behind his nonexistent ears. Literally. He just put it in the small gaps behind his cheekbones.

Ghostie was laughing so hard that if Papyrus wasn't notoriously loud, you wouldn't hear him.

"HOW DID YOU ESCAPE MY WELL PLANNED TRAP?! AND MORE IMPORTANTLY.." he used the angry eyebrows. He then looked away with a slight blush. Idle eyebrows now out. "IS THERE ANY LEFT FOR ME..?"

*What will you say to Papyrus, Frisky?*

Hm. You COULD say that you ate the spaghetti... or you could say that you hated it. Both are lies, really. You couldn't eat the pasta because it was literally inedible in both the sense that it was literally frozen, and the fact that no pasta should ever look like it's about to walk away. And growl at you. Despite this, you didn't necessarily hate it. It was sparkly.

You shuddered, but Papyrus was still waiting for your response. He looked at you with metaphorical sparkles floating around him. Oh my.

 _'I ate it!'_ You said, with the most charismatic smile you could possible muster. As well as a thumbs up for good measure. You radiated so much charisma that you could only hope he bought the fact that you were lying through your teeth. He smiled broadly in turn. The metaphorical sparkles turned into supernovas.

"WOWIE... NOBODY'S EVER ENJOYED MY COOKING BEFORE..."

Your heart hurt a bit for him. He must be really lonely...  
*That's it, I have decided. Lets be his friend from now on.*  
 _'Yeah!'_

"FRET NOT, TINY HUMAN, I, MASTER CHEF PAPYRUS, WILL MAKE YOU ALL THE PASTA YOU COULD EVER WANT!"

*oh poop.*

"HEH HEH HEH HEH HEH HEH HEH NYEH!" Papyrus dashed off yet again to the other clearing. You could only sigh and feel slightly intimidated by the idea of him making more 'pasta'. Oh well, you might be able to get out of eating it if you convince him. Maybe you can say you're allergic to sequins?

*Or maybe you can say you're allergic to any pasta that sparkles.*

That too.

You walked to the next clearing to see Papyrus yet again, so you walked up to him to see what he wanted to say.

"MY BROTHER HAS STARTED A SOCK COLLECTION RECENTLY... HOW SADDENING. I WONDER WHAT HE WOULD DO, WITHOUT A COOL ROLE MODEL LIKE ME TO GUIDE HIM?" Idle eyebrows.

*A sock collection..? Why would someone make a collection like that?*

 _'Memories I guess? My grandma made a collection of bottlecaps once. I remember she told me her favorite was one from puerto rico. Its really nice to have something to keep like that. '_

*When you think about it that way, it really does sound nice. We should start one sometime.*

 _'Yeah. '_

You wondered what you were going to make for the collection. Maybe you could collect marbles?

*Marbles ARE pretty cool. I remember I made one out of a rock. It was so shiny too! I wonder where it is now..*

You could imagine how it might look. Maybe it was shiny like a gem, or sparkly like the rocks you saw while you walked up the mountain! Or maybe it looks like quartz! The possibilities were endless.

You walked onward to see a familiar puzzle come into view. Papyrus stood there yet again, saying something about him reconstructing the puzzle to look like his face. Even _he_ didn't know the answer to this one.

Needless to say, it took you a good 6 tries to finally finish the puzzle. You looked to see Papyrus praising you and such, but what took your attention was that Sans was there. You didn't even see him!

"Good job on solving the puzzle. You didn't even need my help." he looked away with a trollish grin.

"which is good, because I love doing absolutely nothing." You gave him a deadpan, but he just looked back at you with that neutral grin. A thick pause surrounded the two of you and you backed away to the clearing until you couldn't see him. You walked forward to see Papyrus and sans right there in front of you.

*Gosh this is giving me a headache. WHY CAN"T YOU STAY IN THE SAME PLACE, SANS?!*

You looked back and saw that sans wasn't at the previous opening, and you looked back and saw Sans was still there, next to his brother.

You didn't even question it anymore, but to shake yourself out of the possible headache that was soon to come from this, you grabbed a handful of snow and slapped it on your forehead with an ungraceful splat before falling back on a snow poff. The cold was surprisingly welcoming for once, much to your delight.

"Sans, what are they doing?" whispered Papyrus in a not so incognito voice.

"No idea bro" Said Sans. A visible sweatdrop trailed down his brow.

You jumped back up, pat your cheeks twice and soon you were walking up in front of them to see what this puzzle was going to do.

"Er... WELL! HUMAN, I SEE YOU HAVE PASSED ALMOST ALL OF OUR PUZZLES! BUT YOU SURELY WILL NOT EXPECT THIS! BEHOLD, A PUZZLE MADE AND HANDCRAFTED BY THE GREAT DOCTOR ALPHYS,"

*Who's that?*

 _'Beats me.'_

"THE MULTICOLOR TILE PUZZLE!"

Sans threw some confetti made of tissue paper in the air. It fluttered about droopily. Papyrus paid no mind to that and instead made a dynamic pose with the shimmy hands. You clapped, mostly out of confusion and slight amusement at how humorous the duo was.

"AS FOR THE RULES," you perked up and listened. These puzzles were growing to be fun for you and Ghostie, and nobody could make an arcade that's funner than this.

"RED TILES ARE IMPASSIBLE! YOU CANNOT WALK ON THEM! YELLOW TILES ARE ELECTRIC! THEY WILL ELECTROCUTE YOU! GREEN TILES ARE ALARM TILES! IF YOU STEP ON THEM... YOU WILL HAVE TO FIGHT A MONSTER! ORANGE-TILES ARE ORANGE-SCENTED. THEY WILL MAKE YOU SMELL DELICIOUS! BLUE TILES ARE WATER TILES. SWIM THROUGH THEM IF YOU LIKE, BUT... IF YOU SMELL LIKE ORANGES! THE PIRANHAS WILL BITE YOU. ALSO, IF A BLUE TILE IS NEXT TO A YELLOW TILE, THE WATER WILL ALSO ZAP YOU! PURPLE TILES ARE SLIPPERY! YOU WILL SLIDE TO THE NEXT TILE! HOWEVER, THE SLIPPERY SOAP... SMELLS LIKE LEMONS! WHICH PIRANHAS DO NOT LIKE! PURPLE AND BLUE ARE OKAY! FINALLY, PINK TILES. THEY DON'T DO ANYTHING. STEP ON THEM ALL YOU LIKE." Semi idle-angry eyebrows.

You were not ready for this. That was all you thought as you saw the tiles flashing brightly and without any remorse. They flashed brighter and faster and more and the sounds were getting you nervous until-

It turned into a simple layout of pink and red tiles.

*Didn't... didn't he say that pink tiles were easy to walk on..?*

 _'I don't even know anymore.'_

And Papyrus?

Papyrus was staring at the puzzle with an unreadable expression, and even Sans looked shocked. Well, as shocked as he can look with that smile of his. Papyrus spun away with a neutral gaze. It would be funny, if it weren't kind of sad as well. You were looking forward to the puzzle..

You tapped the pink tiles experimentally, then you jumped on the tiles, then you scooted on the tiles, then you eventually moonwalked down the tiles to the other side. Sans threw some tissue confetti at you too. You did the same shimmy, because why not.

"Bravo, kid. Actually, that spaghetti from earlier.. It wasn't too bad for my brother."

*What.*

Your eyes widened as you thought about the spaghetti yet again. That spaghetti was something anyone would 'regretti' after eating it.

*Good one*

 _'Thankies'_

"Since he started cooking, he's been improving a lot. Who knows, maybe next year he'll even make something _edible."_

The thought made you want to retch. Why does Sans think this is normal? Don't they eat that stuff?

*Maybe they don't. I dunno.*

"Well, cheerio pal. You might want to go along. That is, if you don't want to hear more of my bad jokes. Heh."

You walked away after that. At least he's self aware of his gags. The worst one was the word search. It looked like a random-yet-organized keysmash.

*Whats that?*

 _'you know, when you don't want a keysmash to sound like FGIOHSKNJNJNJNJNJNJN because it's too repetitive. So you go like JKYTSKFIENRFSHAYEWSNDNG to make it look randomized.'_

*People do that? That sounds dumb. And how did you even say it?*

 _'People do a lot of dumb things, Ghostie. For example, just look at the people who eat laundry detergent. '_

*That's not just dumb, that just plain disgusting. I wonder what it tastes like.*

 _'Tastes like soap and death.'_

*Makes sense. But really, how did you say it?*

You looked at the machine. It looked like a shell of sorts. On a small seal it said "Property of the Royal Scientist." Hm.

Before you could walk to the next clearing, you saw something in the trees. Underneath a few layers of snow and underbrush, you found a scarf! It was a checkered pattern, but it would do. Thankfully, it was in a bag beforehand. It was pretty clean too. You quickly used the defrost option on your camera yet again, drying the scarf in a matter of seconds.

You examined the scarf with a critical eye, looking for any holes, checking for any damage or bad smell, or twigs. Thankfully it was pristine, save for a few stray leaves that had found their way inside the open bag.

You put it on almost feverishly; not only will it cover the chain mark, it will also keep you warm for the trip! It felt soft and woolen. It was also really cozy and you barely felt any cold anymore!

*This isn't just any scarf, it's magic, Frisk!*

The scarf hummed with a slight buzz at Chara's acknowledgement. It reminded you of your grandma. She would hug you as you both read. You would read jewdy mewdy and she would read recipe books on american style dishes, or about different heroes like Jane Goodall.

As for the scarf, you wondered who could have sent it to you. Maybe it was the same spirit who gave back the camera? What if… what if it was a ghost..?

You immediately stopped dead in your tracks; a chill went up your spine at the thought.

*That's kinda dumb. I'm a ghost. You know this, Frisk.*

'There's a difference! You're Ghostie and they're...'

You remember when Joey showed you a creepypasta. You can never forget the haunting look that Spronic the hedgehog had when you saw it.

*...I'll admit. That is pretty scary.* She might have seen it from your memory of it.

You ran to the next clearing as soon as possible. All you saw were tall, droopy Snowdogs everywhere. All of them were bent or crumbled. A tall monster with antlers looked at you in its smoke break. The smoke smelled like a fresh cut lawn, and it was only then that you noticed it's cigar was made of pine needles.

"A while ago some dog came here trying to express its complex feelings through scultpure... Needless to say, it didn't work out very well." Another puff of smoke. "His neck kept growin' cuz he kept getting overexcited, so he just kept adding more snow until it all broke." He hummed in acknowledgement. "It was funny, but also kind of deep."

*...That guy is kinda cool.*

 _'I guess. Smoking ain't good though.'_

*Nope.*

He looked away and continued his smoke break, leaving you to explore and observe the poorly constructed dogs.

The snowman in your pocket gasped in horror upon seeing the sculptures, and was soon shivering in your pocket. You gently closed the pocket and pat it softly to try and comfort the small being. You noticed a glimmer coming from next to the sentry station. Upon inspecting it further, it was one of those magic stars! You tapped it and saw the familiar black screen.

FRISK 1:20

SNOWDIN TOWN

[CONTINUE] [RESET]

Ignoring the reset button, you promptly pressed continue. It was 1 am already..? You wondered if your grandma was sleeping right now, or if she was there, waiting for you alongside Rufus.

Your heart did an uncomfortable pang. How long were you going to stay here? How long were you going to keep pretending like there's all the time in the world?

You tried to swallow the knot in your throat and decided to walk to the sentry station. The sign looked like the ones from Dogamy and Dogaressa's Stations. It read: *Pleas more pets. Bork.*

Ghostie made an extra goofy voice. She knows something's up. The inside of the station had small boxes of raisins. You took a few. They didn't have the stars, so that's good. Munching on a few, you decided to stay in the sentry station for a while. A small nap could do you good, after all. You didn't know how cold you were until you put on that scarf. It's warmth was comforting and it soothed your very soul. Now that you didn't have to worry about hypothermia, you would allow yourself this break. You yawned and blinked a few times while leaning on the sentry station's counter.

You didn't notice when you fell asleep, nor did you notice when a tall figure took you out of the station and put you in a cozy tent.

You didn't even notice the pillow or blanket either. All you noticed was how blissfully quiet everything was.

But you could still feel that pang in your heart.


	13. Chapter 13

Heyo people! I made some art for Determined curse. If you are interested in viewing it, just go to AO3 and search for "Iluvfanfic". You can find the same story on there, as well as the art!

Some things may or may not be accurate -U-


	14. Towns and fears

You were swimming. You didn't know why, but you were deep in the ocean, gazing at stray anemone that poked out of nearby rocks. There were strange fishes in the water, even two particular see through fish. One orange and one blue. The blue fish unnerved you. The orange one was comforting. They swam with you through the cold waters.

You were swimming upwards, it seems. The light from the water's surface seemed dim and all you could see was the green, algae tinged sand beneath you. It appears you need to swim harder to get to the top of the ocean then. You could barely see your grandma on the surface.

Eels shaped like Nala, Joey and Dewey cackled at you. Suddenly, large plates of spaghetti were chucked at them. They shrieked and ran away when giant meatballs rolled after them threateningly. Surprisingly enough, you didn't feel so good about that happening to them..

Next to you was ghostie. She seemed lost in thought, looking around the ocean. She poked the sand and looked disappointed, looking at her hand with a distant expression. You did the same, only to find that you weren't dreaming as deeply as you thought anymore. The sand didn't have a texture you could recognize and the water felt like air. Did you even touch it? Dreams are weird and their logic weirder.. but.. Perhaps you could do some shenanigans while you're at it.. Hehe..

T-REX TIME!

Ghostie looked at you with a dumbfounded expression; her red eyes almost glowing against the blue seas.

It was then that you noticed her eyes are comforting to look at.

In your self-awareness, the water swirled and everything turned white.

Thanks for caring, dreamscape. Can't even dream in peace. You just wanted to turn into a T-rex.. is that so hard to ask?...

* * *

You opened your eyes bleakly, wondering why the sparkly dark cave ceiling and the sentry station was suddenly orange and plastic. It smelled like marinara sauce and glue for some reason. A comforting, yet nauseating smell emanated from the warm little hut. Sure, it wasn't the most pleasant scent but the blankets were too soft to complain. You sighed and rested your head on the pillow again. The pleasant hum of your checkered scarf was soothing and lulled you into a drowsy state once more..

Wait...

Pillow?

Tent?

You pat what was covering you, and it was indeed a warm blanket as you suspected.

Who put you in here?

You shot up from the bone patterned quilt; it had the words "Cool dude human!" on it. The dude part was crossed out with a familiar shade of red. It reminded you of the marker Papyrus used for his eyebrows. You touched the 'marker' to find that it was sticky tack. It peeled off easily with little hassle; which was relieving. You didn't want the quilt to get ruined after all. The quilt patterns were really intricate, with stitches that looped out to create swirls in the bone prints. Tiny, yet detailed patterns decorated the hem with little snowflakes. Heck, there was even a racecar in the middle of the thing.

Whoever made this must have been really dedicated. These stitches usually take a good while to make, much less keep consistently.

*Either that or they have a lot of time on their hands…* Ghostie muttered sleepily, so she must have woken up recently. You giggled breathily at the thought of her possibly having bedhead, no matter how nonsensical the idea was.

You eyed the tent around you. It was small, but a cozy hideout nonetheless. You gazed at the fuzzy felt pillow. It was soft and still warm from when you used it. The fleece pillowcase and plushy inside guaranteed your comfort would be maximum!

It had a small stain of purple marinara that also seemed to be glittery.

*In the end, all roads lead to Papyrus.*

 _'Indeed. I'm still wondering why everything smells like spaghetti.. but then again, I don't wanna know.'_

*To be honest, it's best not to know a lot of things about Papyrus. Saves you a mighty headache, really.*

 _'True. I'll get out though. The smell is making me feel a bit sick to my stomach now.'_

You got out of the orange hideout, making sure that your scarf was on. It wasn't too hot nor did it let any cold in, so you were feeling extremely comfortable as soon as you got outside. The fresh, crisp air hit you as soon as you opened the tent door, and surprisingly enough, you didn't feel cold.

 _'Thank you, scarf.'_ You thought. The scarf might have listened, or maybe it didn't. It was a mystery indeed.

Looking around, the deerlike monster wasn't here this time. Small bits of ash on the snow indicated that his smoke break wasn't too far off though. The once empty sentry station was now occupied by none other than the lesser dog! He seemed to be on a break, since his armor was off and he was eating some trail mix. Surprisingly enough, he wore an ugly Gyftmas sweater. Maybe they don't know about Thanksgiving down here?

*They probably don't, though it would be funny if they did. Can you imagine? Native american monsters? Hehe..*

You looked at the clear bag of his trail mix a bit closer, but not close enough to disturb him.

*Upon further observation, you find that the trail mix is made of beef jerky, dog bones and.. Pommeraisins. Should I be worried, now that you took a few boxes of them?*

 _'Well, it must be a nice combo, if he's enjoying it so much.'_

*You're too brave, frisk. Too brave. I bet you eat broccoli pizza, don't you?*

 _'I would rather eat moss, to be honest.'_

*First pine needles and now moss? Your reign of terror keeps getting worse, my liege.*

 _'Tis' a sacrifice I must make, my dear ghostie, for I enjoy nothing more than defying vegetables.'_

*You absolute deviant. You have shattered the system in a mossy way. How do you feel, sir-Friskalot?*

'I feel severely malnourished.'

*No, wait- really?*

 _'Heck no. Now, someone who doesn't eat veggies would for sure though.'_

*I feel like your grandma is scaring you to eat healthy at this point.*

 _'Nuh-uh.'_

*You believe in Santa, right?*

 _'Wah, you got me.'_

In your prime of 6 years old, you would continue monologuing about Santa's existence in this mortal plane, but hunger had dissuaded you from any chance at intellectual debate. (Let's be honest, you were totally going to keep saying "Santa is real." for as long as you had to.)

...He IS real, right? There's no way that your grandma eats all those cookies at night. But then again... oatmeal raisin has always been her favorite... And yours too, now that you thought about it...

What if you were eating them in your sleep?!

*Frisk, I have seen a lot of things. Sleep eating isn't one of those.*

 _'But it could happen!'_

*Yeah, no.*

 _'Fine. Dingus.'_

*HEY!*

You opened your box of raisins, and strangely enough, they were shaped like Toby. You hummed as you ate a small handful. They tasted like raisins (Thank dog), but when you chewed them, it sounded like squeaky toys.

Where was Toby, anyway? You didn't see him much after the Jerry incident. You should look for him later, then. Hopefully he didn't stray too far ahead. Sure, Jerry was extremely unlikeable, but he didn't stink. In the literal sense, that is.

You walked over towards lesser dog when you finished with half of your raisins, and for some reason, his neck was back to normal. He visibly brightened up when you approached him, and he was already excited yet again.

*What if his neck resets when he's sleeping? Just picture this, a slinky with his head on it.*

 _'I'm not imagining it just because I don't want to laugh in front of him and make him think im picking on him—but god that's a hilarious mental image, Ghostie.'_

*You're welcome, Friskadoodle.*

Lesser dog barked at you, and when he had your attention, said "Pleas moar pets".

He tried to say something else, but his doggish voice was too strong to do any intricate words. You didn't mind this, instead petting him on the head. He wasn't as excited as before, but his tail was clearing the snow behind him with how erratically it moved. Thankfully, his neck didn't move this time. Maybe he wasn't so excited this time because you pet him before, or maybe it's because you're more underwhelming than before...

*Definitely the first.*

 _'Thankies.'_

*No Problem Frisker-whiskers.*

After patting lesser dog some more, he sighed in contentment and gave you some trail mix. Even though you were never going to eat it, you might as well keep him happy. Plus, hey. You could smell the jerky to give the impression that you're eating a steak. Juicy, savory, meaty-

*I wish that monsters would just grow some real food that isn't made of magic. Meh. Maybe we can find some crops in waterfall.*

 _'What's waterfall like?'_

*Well, It's enormous. Filled with mazes and puzzles, which I think you'd actually enjoy by the way, and tons of water.*

 _'You really weren't lying about the king and names, huh?'_

*I wish I was, Frisk. I Wish I was.*

*There's also a huge Garbage dump there, which is near one of the lower entrances to the mountain. Maybe seeds could have landed there?*

 _'Yuck. I don't want to go to the dump...'_

*And I don't want you to starve. I don't know how you made it through half a day eating pine needles.*

 _'To be honest, I didn't think much about it. I was having fun, ya' know? When I did remember that I hadn't eaten, that's when I was really hungry. At this point I don't feel too hungry, either.'_

*Did you even drink water when we were here?*

 _'..Oops?'_

Ghostie sighed in a way that parents do in movies. As in that generic soccer mom sigh when Timmy gets another B- *That's it friskeroo. We're getting a LARGE thermos. No juice, no 'hot cocoa', NOTHING but water will go in that mug. You want something dehydrating, get it in a different cup.*

 _'Yes ma'am.'_

You did your best impression of a military walk, but it didn't work as well as you'd hoped. Your legs hurt afterward too. Taking a moment to stretch would really help you out, actually.

"Excuse me, Human. I would prefer not to be jostled, thank you." You winced when you remembered that the snowman was still there. You were still responsible for him, so you had to give him a good ride too. You signed a quick sorry, to which he hummed in agreement, and then you walked off, despite your gait being a lot gentler.

And what you saw wasn't pretty in the slightest.

It was but your old arch-enemy...

ICE.

You looked at the slick, unassuming walkway in front of you. Switches were peppered across it all in a ruthless, confusing manner.

The ice wasn't what scared you most though, it was the fact that there were no fences. No barrier in case you fell down. It had to be at least a ten-foot fall. You took a deep breath to gather yourself.

*It's okay Frisk. You want me to take over?*

 _'No, I'm okay, Ghostie. I can do this. Especially considering your track record on ice skating. Heh...'_

*Psh. Let me try. I know you're scared of heights.* Ghostie seamlessly slipped into your body comfortably, and you were in the mind room yet again.

You should really add some more features here. But maybe later... tiredness radiated through your entire being. Without further ado you plopped yourself on the rufus plush and began to sleep a dreamless rest.

* * *

Perhaps the added exposure made it easier to walk in this body. It was waaay easier to walk now than before, but it would still take a while to get used to going long distances. Now, a puzzle like this? I can do this.

…

In a minute...

I'm not scared of falling psh of course not..

Frick.

My knees are totally not buckling or anything. _I'm_ not scared of heights...

"Don't worry kid, the fall isn't half as bad as you'd think."

I turned around to find that sans was right there, the same smile plastered on his stupid face. I immediately felt on edge.

"Just solve the puzzle. Trust me, things will be okay. The snow down there is pretty thick, so you won't get hurt if you fall anyway. Heck, even the monster kids jump down there when they're bored. All ya need to do is just turn all the X's into O's. Simple, right buddy?"

I wanted to glare at him, but I doubt it would be like Frisk's glare. Her's is kind of like an angry Pomeranian. I opted for a simple shrug instead.

"Fear of heights, I'm guessing?"

'No.' Was all I could sign that looked the same as frisk.

"Hey, if it makes ya feel better, you can just facepalm some snow after. I bet that's _really_ relaxing, ain't it?"

I flipped him off before I did the puzzle. It was satisfying to do indeed. He didn't react as usual, but I feel like at this point he's been desensitized to middle fingers. Fuck you too, sans.

I glanced down at the bottom yet again. It didn't look like an easy fall. Okay Chara, think about frisk. Do it for her, dammit.

Taking a deep breath and steeling my nerves I took a step and immediately slid onto the switch in front of me, which happened to be the first one on the very right. I couldn't help but flail my arms and hope for the best, but surely enough I stopped at the snow.

So now I know that I can stop at every switch easily. That made things easier.

I slid forward to the next switch, making sure that I slowed down enough to stop at the snow again. A grey button was at the end of the puzzle, but I would have to press that later. I then slid up and got the switches on the top of the puzzle, then sliding down to the middle and hitting the grey button from there.

The button went down with a clack, and soon enough there was a bridge forming in it's place. I sat down at the ledge of the puzzle to catch my breath. So much for stamina, huh? Sure, Frisk was well versed in being able to walk in her body, but my soul has yet to get used to this body. I felt Frisk's hair. It was getting curled again. That means my control over this body is slipping.

*Frisk. Hey, Frisk. Wake up.*

 _'hnnnnnnnng noooo'_

*Come on Frisk, I can't control this much longer.*

 _'Say pretty please.'_

*Frisk.*

 _'Ghostie.'_

*Fine. Pretty please.*

 _'With a maraschino cherry on top?'_

*No.*

 _'Hehe, it was worth a try.'_

Frisk swiftly took control, and I settled back onto the Rufus beanbag. Finally. I'll sleep for now then.

* * *

You didn't want to do that puzzle, and you would thank Ghostie for that.. But.. Why did she need to leave you on the ledge? As soon as you opened your eyes, you saw the frightening place your body was left on. Your chest tightened and your heart sank when you saw that you were so close to falling. You straightened your back and took a moment to breathe, while trying as hard as you could to get back up onto the ground. There wasn't anything to hold onto but slippery Ice, and you slid further. Your legs buckled and your breathing quickened.

You tried again, clawing more frantically onto the ice floors to try and get leverage, yet you slipped once more. You were closer to falling down. At this point, you didn't know how big the fall was, but you didn't care.

You didn't want to **_die_** fall again.

You looked around for something to hold onto, but there wasn't anything in your range of vision. At this point you stayed still. If you did one wrong move, you would surely fall. You didn't even know what would happen should you fall.  
 _ **You could hear the river.**_

"SMALL HUMAN? IT IS YOU INDEED! WHAT ARE YOU DOING THERE? THERE ARE MANY OTHER WAYS TO GET TO THE BOTTOM FLOOR, LITTLE FRIEND."

OH THANK GOD-

You fingerspelled "help" and sure enough, Papyrus got the picture. He picked you up and dragged you away from the ledge with no further prompting from you.

"I SEE... YOU WERE ABOUT TO FALL? DO NOT WORRY HUMAN, THE FALL ISN'T EVEN THAT BAD! LOOK!"

Papyrus jumped from the ledge and your heart sank. You looked down to see that he was perfectly fine though. He smiled some more and waved at you from the bottom floor, unscathed except for some stray bits of snow on top of his marker-stained skull.

You sighed and walked down to the bottom floor via the slope to see what was down there. You were curious, after all. There were two snow sculptures, well, at least one of them was a sculpture. It was a portrayal of Papyrus, only this version had muscles. "Cool dude" was carefully sculpted on the 'battle body'.

"OBSERVE MY CRAFTMANSHIP, HUMAN! PERFECTLY SCULPTED SNOW, GORGEOUS CURVES, SPLENDID COMPOSITION! IT IS A STATUE OF YOURS TRULY, MADE BY THE GREATS! (Also yours truly.) AND THEN THERE'S THIS. I WISH THAT MY BROTHER COULD CARE A BIT MORE ABOUT HIS WORK, INSTEAD OF JUST GIVING UP SO MANY TIMES."

You glanced at what Papyrus was gesturing at with such annoyance, and it turned out to be a lump of snow with the name 'Sans' written in red marker. You then started wondering if it was the marker Papyrus had earlier, but the world would 'nyehver' know.

*I wonder why he put biceps on the top and skipped leg day.*

 _'Maybe he wants to be Johnny Bravo?'_

*Or heck, maybe he wants to be an Aaron.*

 _'Who's that?'_

*You'll meet him at Waterfall. When you do, remember this conversation.*

'I gotchu fam.'

"WELL NOW, I SHALL GO AND PREPARE THE OTHER JAPES! FAREWELL, YOUNG HUMAN, I SHALL BE OFF! NYEHEH!"

Papyrus leapt up to the second floor in one fell swoop, by.. Skipping in the air? Just don't think about it at this point.

*Im getting a headache and I have a nonexistent head.*

'Shh.'

You walked back through the walkway yet again, and slid down through the puzzle to cross the bridge as slowly as you wished.

After crossing the bridge however, you were pleased to find that there were trees surrounding the bridge, providing a safer pathway than the others. If only there were less branches, though.. You crossed it while pushing away the stray snow-covered twigs that blocked the path, while the pine needles combed through your hair as you passed, leaving cool snow in your curls.

By the time you had gone off of the bridge, there was a small dog sculpture in your hair. The snowman in your pocket whose name you had forgotten had peeked at you from your pocket and giggled, but also tried conversing with the snowdog. You had to cover the pocket when you started walking though, mostly because the dog had crumbled atop your head with the movement.

You shook your head to get rid of the snow that made its way in your scarf, while also brushing off any snow on your head. Once your hair stopped looking like Cruella, you went on with your quest! This time without marching.

There were two roads you could take. One was a downwards slope, while another seemed to lead to an open field of snow poffs.

*Try sliding down that slope!*

 _'Heck yeah!'_

You positioned yourself for optimal sliding, then down you went!

In a normal speed. But hey, you weren't a speed demon. You slid to the bottom of the hill and got up once you started scooting awkwardly. You brushed off your pants and looked around to see..

*SANS. WHY IS IT ALWAYS SANS.*

You walked up to him to see what was new, only to have him say a simple "Whats up?"

You replied by pointing at the ceiling. He looked up briefly, before stopping and chuckling a bit. "That joke was horrible kid. Tell me a few next time."

You walked away while observing the walls, to find that there were tons of eyes that seemed to float in the holes. It spooked you, but once you waved at it, you were pleased to find that it was just a family of bats. They waved back, and were kind of cute, really. They reminded you of dogs with wings, but not quite.

You kept walking and saw Sans yet again. How? Why?

You looked behind you to find Sans. You looked in front of you. Still sans. You grabbed a snowball and chucked it at his direction, but your throwing skills haven't magically improved since yesterday, to your chagrin.

 _'Why must you forsake me so, anime tropes?'_

You grumpily walked over to the other sans, and he simply responded with a "Are you following me?" his face looked trollish as always, but you stuck your tongue at him anyway.

*Yeah! Frick your humor, Sans!*

 _'No cursing'_

*Wha- Frick isn't cursing!*

 _'You said it with the intention of cursing. And I also don't like how much it sounds like frisk.'_

*You are too damn lucky because I care about you.*

 _'Likewise, dorkie.'_

*Frisker-whiskers.*

 _'Grosstie'_

*Frisky business.*

 _'Ghoyster'_

"You good there, pal?"

You snapped your attention back to sans, who was eyeing you with that same calculated look. You held back a shudder before giving him a totally not shaky thumbs up.

"You do you, bud."

He then went on to his own devices, well, whatever he was doing anyway. You walked away to the next part of the clearing.

It was a blue-stone path, with no snow in sight except for some snowflakes falling down gently. Or.. At least you thought they were snowflakes. They seemed to be floating sparkles in the air that reminded you of the stars you use to SAVE. Everything around you was black, so dark that you couldn't see anything except the faintly glowing road in front of you. You took a brief selfie (Which was oddly clear for such a dark place) and kept walking.

*I wonder why this looks like waterfall, when it's in Snowdin town. I really like this place, though.*

 _'Me too.'_

You could faintly hear piano notes in the background, but it might've been your imagination. After walking for a bit, you finally reached a room. It had four clusters of glowing mushrooms scattered about the room, with dark, moist soil under your feet. The rocky, uneven walls had a comforting shade of blue as well, and it looked even better with the light from the mushrooms. There was a faint trickle of condensation running down the walls, leaving dewdrops on the glowing mushies.  
There was also a door. Not as large as the ones in the ruins, but still large enough to tower over you.  
*Like everything in the underground.*

 _'Shush.'_

It had the same ol' symbol painted onto the wood, and it seemed pretty interesting nonetheless.

*You get the feeling that something might happen here later. But for now, it is just a door.*

 _'But hey, at least I can see these things.'_  
You walked closer to the mushrooms to inspect them. They were lightly speckled with tiny flecks of navy blue sprinkled on them, and they looked so soft too...

*Why don't you touch one?*

 _'I don't think I should do that.. Grandma said that some mushrooms shouldn't be touched because they can be poison.'_

*Trust me on this. Touch one! I promise you'll be okay.*

 _'..If you say so, Ghostie..'_

You tapped one, albeit reluctantly, but you didn't spontaneously combust, so that was a plus. What you didn't expect though, was that the mushroom just.. _Squeaked._ IT WAS ADORABLE. You kept tapping them, noticing how the glow turned on and off- it didn't stop. You pet the mushrooms, tapped the mushrooms, spent some time staring and appreciating the mushrooms-

*They're just mushrooms though.*

 _'Mushies are love mushies are life.'_

You eventually did get tired though, so you bid your beloved mushrooms goodbye while also making sure that they were all turned on, in case someone else wanted to appreciate them like you did.

You practically skipped back to the snowy fields again, mood absolutely lifted because goodness was that cool. In your daze, you stumbled upon a moose.. But not any moose. It seemed awfully decorated too. It reared its head over to you and yelled a very unhappy "WHAT?" with a.. sideways muzzle?  
Soon enough, you were in a battle yet again. The same tennis court lay around you, and soon you were face to face with the enraged monster.

*Gyftrot confronts you!*

Your options were in front of you again, but this time you pressed check.  
 _'Whats wrong with this guy, Ghostie?'_

*Well, his name is Gyftrot, he's got okay stats, not too dangerous, but he's angry because some teens 'decorated' him as a prank.. That just sucks.*

"HoHoHo!" His sarcastic laugh took your attention from the mental conversation you were having. Rude.

"Go ahead and laugh." You couldn't laugh that heartily if you tried, but uh.. That still wouldn't be too nice to laugh about..

You then looked down to see that Gyftrot had made bullets shaped like presents underneath the court. They shuffled a bit and then stopped, coming after you. You dodged one row of them by slipping through the middle of two of them, but there was another row quickly forming. This time, you jumped over to the blue present and held still, feeling that cool rush pass through you entirely. Gyfttrot's muzzle had a hazy breath, and his pine tree 'antlers' made the court smell like pine needles.

You pressed the ACT button and decided to 'undecorate' the poor guy. You started by removing the barbed wire made from.. Pipe cleaners? You threw it to the abyss below the cliff, while also giving his horns a small rub.

*Gyftrot is.. Slightly less irritated?*

"That's actually a bit better..." he admitted. His tone of voice sounded genuine for once.

Despite this, he kept up the attacks, but they had much less anger put into them. It wasn't presents this time, but instead small pellets of hail. The pattern was much easier to dodge, even though a few nicked you in the process. You 'undecorated' Gyftrot again, this time removing a stocking filled with chicken nuggets.

"I'm feeling a bit better..."

You glanced at the stocking again. It was really a plastic bag shaped like a stocking.

 _'I kinda wanna eat those chicken nuggets. They're still warm and everything.'_

*Wha—Hell no! Who knows where that's been!*  
 _'IM HUNGRY, OKAY?'_

*WAIT A BIT MORE. WE'RE ALMOST AT TOWN.*

 _'TOO LATE, BOI.'_

You munched on the chicken nuggets, and surprisingly enough, they were real meat. You felt a lot better to have something solid, despite there just being 4 nuggets.

*You disgust me.*

 _'I know I don't, but thanks anyway.'_

*Yuck.*

You dodged another volley of hail, which was even easier to dodge, and finally removed a photo of a snowdrake and his mother. You felt the need to save this when you meet them. On the other hand, Gyftrot was finally pleased.

"A weight has been lifted... Thank you."

Ghostie sighed before narrating yet again.*Gyftrot's problems have been taken away.*

You acted one more time, and gave him a small gift. It was 20G. You already had a fair amount, and the poor guy had gone through way too much. With that, you spared him and walked off.

You waved at the bats one last time, said hey to Sans, and then walked over to the next area filled with snow poffs. There was also a dog house to the far left, but you were more focused on the poffs.

You inspected one of them.

*It's a Snow Poff.*

 _'A very intelligent observation, Ghostie.'_

*Why thank you.*

You walked over and looked at the next snow poff, half expecting Ghostie to say something else. As you expected, she did.

*And this, is a snow poff.*

 _'I see.. My world is so much clearer now.'_

You checked out another one of the beautifully stacked snow domes.

*This, however, is a snow poff.*

 _'You don't say.'_

At this point, you just wanted to keep up the charade. You walked over to another one.

*Surprisingly, it's a snow poff.*

And another one.

*Snow poff...*

Another.

*Is it really a snow poff?*

One more time.

*Behold! A snow poff.*

Just kidding, this is the last one.

*Eh? There's 30 G inside this.. Uh.. What is this?*

Really? You saw a golden glint inside the snow and surely enough, it was gold. You grabbed the coins (Which were really 3 coins with tens engraved into them) and walked over to the rest of the path.

There was a snow poff in front of you.

*Oh come on not again...*

 _'You don't have to say it, its okay.'_

You were just about to split the poff in half to be able to cross it, only to find that a dog was in there. He looked surprisingly like toby, but he wasn't the same. You felt a bit disheartened, but he was still cute, you supposed.

He yipped at you twice with his tail wagging. It poked out of the snow in the most a'dog'able way imaginable. Well, until he got up that is. You were in the battle court yet again, whether you liked it or not. The cute little dog quickly towered over you in a matter of seconds, equipped with giant, hulking armor, huge fists and a even larger spear... that happened to have a dog face on it. His gauntlets also had dog faces on them.

*It's the greater dog alright.*

The few moments of confusion you had was soon replaced with fear as you ran away from an upcoming spear. When the spear turned blue, you braced yourself and held still, using all of your experience with "Red light green light" in this one battle.

You immediately pressed the ACT button on instinct, but thought out your options. You couldn't pet him yet; he was too far away to do that. You couldn't play with him without him knowing your scent either. You briefly checked his stats.

*Careful Friskoo, this guy can pack a punch. Oddly enough, he thinks that fighting is just play.*

His turn came yet again, and you had to dodge the spear once more. It nicked your sides a few times, but nothing a monster candy can't fix.

You popped a candy in your mouth while checking your options. Deciding to beckon him, you pat your legs and did kissy noises at him. He padded forward as soon as you made eye contact.

 ***** You call the greater dog. It bounds towards you, flecking slobber on your face. Gross.*

You wiped your face momentarily while petting him.

*Greater dog curls up in your lap as it is pet by you. It gets so comfortable that it falls asleep... zzzzz.. And then it wakes up! And it's so excited!*

It then attacked with a bullet that looked like a dog that was sleeping, but then the bullet woke up and started barking at you. It had no noise, but the literal word 'bark' was being thrown at you. You jumped and dodged them, but one hit you while dodging and now? Now your ears were ringing with barking noises.

*Frick that's annoying.*

 _'I know.. It sucks.'_

You decided to play with him using a pine branch. You were honestly surprised at how it fit in your pocket really.. You decided to play with him for a while then.

After playing so much, Greater dog had laid on the snow with its paws hanging in the air.

*It seems as though Greater dog is contented.*

You spared him, but he got out of his armor, gave you a small doge kiss on the cheek, then hopped back inside the armor.. The opposite way.. Somehow, he could still control the armor without looking anywhere.

*Creepy.*

 _'yep.'_

You walked onto the next clearing, but you froze. There was a bridge in front of you. Sure, it had rope.. But it was narrow. The river was right below you. There were tons of weapons that threatened to break the bridge, should you step on it.

 _'Please do this one Ghostie.. I.. I can't.'_

*..Okay, frisk. Leave it to me.*

Ghostie walked down the bridge, but first she stepped on it warily. After stomping on it enough times, she finally walked down the bridge to see what 'puzzle' would need solving. The bridge was surprisingly sturdy.

"UH.. BEHOLD! THE GAUNTLET OF DEADLY TERROR!" Papyrus seemed nervous, but in that sort of way that makes you look stupidly confident. The mechanism had cannons, blades, fire, a spike ball, and.. Wait.. Is that Toby?!

"WHEN I SAY THE WORD, IT WILL FULLY ACTIVATE!" Sans' face was painfully still. Papyrus shifted a bit, as if he was nervous with this mechanism out. Both of you felt wary as well, and you didn't need to feel connected to know that.

"CANNONS WILL FIRE. SPIKES WILL SWING! BLADES WILL SLICE! EACH PART WILL SWING VIOLENTLY UP AND DOWN!" To explain, Papyrus did a chopping motion with his arms. It didn't help. He then put his arms on his sides, resting whatever was on his arms for a bit.

"ONLY THE TINIEST CHANCE OF VICTORY WILL REMAIN! ARE YOU READY?! BECAUSE.. I.. AM.. ABOUT.. TO.. DO.. IT!"

A long pause of silence came, the only thing that could be heard was the crackling fire. Sans turned over to face his brother. "Well, what's the holdup?"

"HOLDUP?! WHAT HOLDUP?! I'M.. I'M ABOUT TO ACTIVATE IT NOW!"

"That, uh, doesn't look very activated."

"WELL! THIS CHALLENGE.. IT SEEMS.. MAYBE.. TOO EASY TO DEFEAT THE HUMAN WITH! YEAH! WE CAN'T USE THIS ONE! I AM A SKELETON WITH STANDARDS! MY PUZZLES ARE VERY FAIR! AND MY TRAPS ARE EXPERTLY COOKED!"

*Cooked?!*

"BUT THIS METHOD IS TOO DIRECT! NO CLASS AT ALL! AWAY IT GOES!"  
 _'Wait! Toby is still up there!'_

Ghostie shook her arms frantically to try and grab Papyrus' attention. He stopped the gauntlet from rising any further. Toby was still up there, and that rope didn't look comfortable at all.

"WHAT IS IT, CURLY HUMAN?"

'The dog is up there. Please bring him down.' At this point, your control was slowly bleeding into Ghostie's with your worry.

"WAIT, HE IS?! SAAAANS!"  
"Yeah dude?"

"WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME THAT THE DOG WAS THE HUMAN'S ACQUAINTANCE? I SHALL RETRIEVE HIM AT ONCE!" Papyrus did that air skipping thing again while swiftly untying Toby and bringing him back with a flutter. Toby seemed calm enough, but you were too worried for him. You quickly hugged him while he gave you a quick lick on your cheek. You then gave him a few pets and signed a quick thank you to Papyrus.

"NO PROBLEM, YOUNG ONE! I SHOULD BE THE ONE SAYING SORRY; I DIDN'T KNOW THAT HE WAS UP THERE, REALLY. "

"I'll ask him the next time I don't know where he is. Good idea. "

"SANS YOU BUM!"

"Bum? More like bumbling with productivity."

"REALLY?"  
"Yeah bro. I ate two times more fries than yesterday."

"HMM... WELL I GUESS THAT IS SOME VALUABLE PROGRESS... ANYWAY, IT HAS BEEN ANOTHER DECISIVE VICTORY FOR PAPYRUS! NYEH! HEH! …. HEH?" Papyrus dashed off, leaving snow unturned in his trail.

As usual, you walked over to Sans to see what he was going to say. "I don't know what my Brother is going to do next. If I were you, I would practice on avoiding blue attacks."

 _'noted.'_

Your legs were sore. You were definitely due for a nice nap at this point. You checked out a sign to see that you were in a town!  
*FRICK YES!*

You wanted to cheer some more but you just wanted to sleep. You saved, dashed over to the nearest Inn, booked a room and fell into a well-deserved rest. Perhaps you'd explore the town later.


	15. Broken pies and lady cries

The ruin master fell silent at the door, closing it behind the doomed child as her breath hitched. She let another child go. She let another child die.

And now they're gone. How long would this one last? one day? one week?

It didn't matter to her if hours or days passed. She failed.

Tears flowed down her cheeks, browning white fur into tear streaks as she leaned next to the door to wallow in her (regret, fear, shame, solitude, hurt). Again, she was too weak. Too scared to leave her safe place. Mortified of facing Asgore once more, to gaze at the eyes of a murderous king, or the eyes of the monsters she betrayed. She cried, knowing that this would be the last soul needed to break the barrier. She had nothing left to lose at this point; failing her last goal in life. She lost.

That bastard would wage war against humanity, but at what cost? At the cost of more children? More innocent families? She clutched her arms, not finding any consolation in the gesture except the echoes of the wind beyond the door. This was her final mistake, and now everyone would suffer for it.

Another war, more blood would be shed and dust thrown. The snow flew underneath the door, a gust of wind could be heard- and felt- through the aged wood. Monsters were still shaken from the last war, families had been broken, children had been orphaned and left to wander about in the shattered city, entire subspecies decimated and leaving no trace behind of their existence.

Her mind was blank at one point. Hope lost, sunken too deep in her own grief that she could barely even feel. She was numb like the snow beyond, and her heart colder than ice. What used to be a passionate, lively flame with a family and no worries to fathom had turned into a fading ember in the trembling walls of her own mind.

.

.

The child left without a jacket.

.

.

 **Frisk** left without a jacket.

 **Frisk** left without any protection to the cold or the elements that they would most certainly face outside the doors. And she let them go because she was too afraid of going with them. Protecting them herself. Being an actual caretaker for once instead of remaining a coward and hiding from the rest of monster-kind.

At some point the tears had stopped, running dry as if they had been cried out before. Because this wasn't the first time she let a child die alone. More and more repeats of what she should have done grew louder in her distressed mind, another lamb out to the slaughter. Forced to make decisions they never wanted to make.

Forced to choose a locked home isolated from any other contact, or freedom. If they had come down this cast-off mountain in the first place, it was no wonder they had chosen the latter.

But she would be a hypocrite if she said that she was sad and grieving. She let this happen to all of the children who fell. Some were hungry and poor, with the outbreaks of poverty leaving them desperate and confused. Others quiet with unspeakable pasts and choice marks. Some bright-eyed and happy that fell by accident but were too curious for their own good. And then this one, that was unfortunate enough to come across a broken woman with empty-nest syndrome.

Or maybe, deep down she already knew. Maybe she just wanted to fill the void of her lost children with each new child that dropped down. Their disappointed faces, maybe she made those faces at some point. Because in the end, no child would be another Asriel. And there would never be another Chara. That's why she never bothered to ask about their preferences with foods; She never thought about the idea of them not liking butterscotch or cinnamon or pie in general. A simple question about allergies and that's all.

Once she saw the striped shirts or sweaters she didn't want to look at their eyes; Toriel knew they would never be that soft shade of red that she grew to love. She gave them a room filled with the books and toys of children they never knew. She gave them the foods she was so used to making for other children. She gave them clothes that had traces of white fur on them, and made excuses when the children asked why there were so many shoes in a disparity of sizes.

The sparkling little eyes that Asriel always had were like little pools of innocence. He would pull on his ears if he got fussy, or cry when Chara picked on him. He would draw a lot, usually little doodles of what happened at school, or what he felt at the moment. Other times he would draw Toriel as a big, towering giant with a smile, with Asgore by her side and a smaller Chara next to him. The teacher would say "That means that you two are huge parts of his life! You should be proud." And proud she was. Every day was like a dream with her family. Asriel would also help her bake, or pepper all of them with questions. Whether it was about growing up, getting horns, what life was like, or.. why humans locked them here. Chara would barely respond to the last question, looking down and changing the subject.

Chara, such a complicated little thing, with a heart that would take everyone's burdens on itself. Morals that were questionable at times, but always doing what went with their philosophy. They played around with Asriel, sometimes picking on him but other times viewing him as a relic. The two were inseparable, going on their adventures and giggling about it at dinnertime. At times they were so secluded, as if distant and thinking about something far back, and at other times, they looked suspicious, like this was too good to exist. After a few months, they had calmed down, and they had never looked happier. It took a while to get them to understand the small luxuries in the underground, as monsters were always more advanced than humans. Sometimes Toriel would gaze at their scarred hands, grabbing them and placing healing magic on the small things. They were learning magic, it seems. Toriel wanted to say so many things, teach them so many recipes, let both of her children know everything she did, but she lost them both before she could do any of that.

The slightest of thoughts crept in her mind, a faint idea of her growing old and living with her husband and children happily, watching them rule with smiling faces. She dismissed the thought with an aching heart.

Toriel missed the times where there were crops in the underground with human food, all of the underground cheering for the future human citizens- should they fall. They disappeared after Asgore declared war, and now she was left with cooking snails for the humans. If only monster-kind had the same compassion for humans as they do to each other.

When Chara had fallen, Asgore had taken it onto himself to make sure that everyone learned sign language to communicate with the future heirs. It took a while to learn, but little by little the gestures and notions were much easier to understand. Toriel would often ask about the curse mark, but Chara didn't want to talk about it. Curse marks were always so difficult and horrible to bear. Seeing one on a child broke her heart. Toriel decided to knit a turtleneck sweater for Chara that day. She never took it off.

'Thanks mom! I'll wear it till the day I die!' If only the phrasing didn't come to be so literal.

And Asgore, who would help her cook meals (that were far better than snails on any occasion) while she focused on desserts. Sometimes they would cook together, his gentle manners made delicately made dishes with great attention to detail, while she did more of the messy aspects of the dish that Asgore was too timid to make. Both of them like yin and yang, made the best foods known to monster kind. The times where there were four armchairs in the living room and both would read as the children drew pictures on the floor, chatting in sign language with their heads in the clouds. Chara's drawings were disturbing at times, and it was too late by the time Toriel decided to talk about them.

She remembered when the children tried to surprise him with a pie and added buttercups instead of cups of butter. Asgore was strong, but it scared Toriel so much to see him so frail, so close to falling down. Asriel cried every day, saying sorry an insurmountable amount of times. Chara tried staying strong, being the pillar for Asriel to lean on. Even then, they were still a child. They would apologize when everything was quiet and they were left to their thoughts.

She missed the times that her children would call her 'mom' with warm eyes and fond smiles. When she read and the two would sit on her lap to read snail facts. The same book that she kept, hoping to see if another child would be just as interested. When Asgore came with a fresh bouquet of golden flowers, each of them growing perfectly in a pot because he was too timid to cut them. The flowers that grow to this day in her room; on top of a bookshelf so she can't see it as often. The times when she would make a butterscotch pie and Asgore had suggested putting the cinnamon in the treat, making it notoriously delicious afterward.

She… She missed it so much when they would say "I love you" Three words that she never heard after she lost the things she treasured most. Then her children died, and now those eyes were replaced by looks of fear, suspicion, hate, and pity from the seven that came after that.

 **"I HATE YOU!"**

She was more of a coward than Asgore.

Instead of trying to work things out, convince his grieving mind that this plan was atrocious and cruel, she left him to carry the burden of an entire kingdom by himself. He declared war, shouting it to the cracking underground, giving the breaking species a grim resolve that they all knew wouldn't work. Gerson had tried to tell Toriel not to go, to try and help out the shattered man and she had left anyway. The thought of killing humans was abhorrent.

Children had less burdens and thus stronger SOULS, with a capacity for magic far better than that of an adult with good teaching. But... Looking at their little eyes and seeing Chara and Asriel, then playing god to take their lives? Even worse; their SOULS. The most precious thing any living thing has, then perverting it for selfish desires. Reflecting on herself, she hated Asgore because of that most of all. He loved Chara, he loved Asriel, he loved her; and he shut out the heart she grew to love.

Her mind silenced once more after thinking of all the things that she forbid herself from thinking. Eventually, she grew quiet, looking far away yet seeing nothing. She wanted her family back. She wanted her children back. She wanted anybody back.

But nobody came.

And the master of the Ruins was left alone once more. To think? Her thoughts were blank. To cry? Her tears were cried out. To go home? The thought of entering an empty home again made her sick. She could feel nothing but **heartache** , cruel and suffocating like her next breath would be her last. All of the things she had done and the things she should have done were painful jabs at her beaten heart. She was alone and in denial for so long, and yet she knew the truth no matter how much she tried to drown it out in baked goods and new children.

She sat, silent and blank as she leaned on the old wooden door, focusing all of her attention on her breathing while trying to think of what to do now. Nothing came to mind as she heard a familiar knock on the door.

And she couldn't hold back the tears.

* * *

You woke up to snoring. Not just one individual snore- no. This was practically a choir of snores. From high pitched squeaks to low rumbles to saying 'z' repeatedly in multiple different tones. It reminded you of Napstablook really, making you wonder about the whereabouts of the dorky ghost.

*Hnnn you say somethin'?* Ghostie sounded very groggy, but you spared yourself the details of how this could be and instead responded.

 _'Nope. Nothing at all.'_

*Gotcha.*

And with that, another snore was added to the collection. Note to self, invest in a pair of earmuffs. But.. that wouldn't work for Ghostie's voice... How does she even snore? How can you block a sound inside your head? And why was the snoring suddenly like a song? And a familiar one at that…

If you knew what was best for you, you would stop thinking about this before getting a child's edition of existential crisis… But you were the type of person to eat skittles before breakfast, so clearly, you weren't very good at priorities.

Rebelling wasn't worth the stomachache, but the pain added to your petty achievement! Or it just made it worse, but you were optimistic.

After ending that confusing self-pep talk, you went back to sleep, burying your head in the hotel-smelling covers; only aware of the room around you. Come to think of it, you haven't spent more than 2 nights in the same place for days now.

You were used to waking up to warm comforters and a warm fluffy calico purring beside you, hearing grandma cooking from the kitchen with her cast-iron pans and multicolored utensils. Glancing at the ceiling decorated with stickers and the glow in the dark stars. Looking outside and seeing the sun up and shining through your floral curtains, then petting Rufus for a good while until he finally gets tired of your attention and leaves to bribe grandma for more food, then taking a deep breath and knowing what's for breakfast. Getting up from a plush bed and hugging grandma while she tussles your hair gently and pats your head with the gentlest touch ever. Eating breakfast with her on the small dining table for two while looking outside at the hill-laden neighborhood and watching the sun rise higher by the minute.

You didn't realize how much you missed everything until you didn't have it anymore.

You wiped away stray tears and stopped thinking about home, eventually opting for more sleep.

* * *

You dreamt that you were eating butterscotch cinnamon pie. Suddenly, a giant cloaked figure stabbed the entire dish with a red pitchfork. You stared at its glowing orange and blue eyes. Ghostie looked at the figures silently but opted to leave with a darkened expression.

It walked away to sit on a blanket-covered chair in a room filled with buttercups, holding the pie tenderly despite totally butchering it beforehand. It tried to put the pie together. It tried to make the pie the way it was. The pie was ruined for good.

Through its golden hair, you could notice it was crying. Another figure in a robe walked in, grabbing the pie and throwing it away into a tin.

It walked towards the crying one, and instead of giving it consolation, it squinted almost angrily.

"It's your fault, _. You KILLED them!"

"I know, _. But-"

"No. No buts. What you have done can never be repaired with mere words. May your sins weigh you down for life, you beast." It snarled angrily and disappeared into a fiery smoke.

It wiped it's (increasingly bloodstained hands), grabbing the pitchfork and walking over to you once more with a look of (remorse,hurt,guilt,LOVE-)

You looked up at him and saw his face. He looked like a bearded Toriel. He looked at you and closed his eyes, but you didn't know what was happening until you saw the weapon heading right for your torso.

"Like a trip to the dentist."

Turns out the pitchfork wasn't just for show.

* * *

You woke up with a jolt, gripping the sheets and looking around the small hotel room.

*Frisk, calm down. You had a nightmare, that's all.*

*Breathe In.*

You took a deep breath, trying to focus on ghostie's voice as much as possible.

*Now breathe out.*

You exhaled and kept up a pattern until you were finally calm enough to get off the bed and turn on the nearby lamp. Toby was on the bed but looked up when he found you were awake. His tail wagged a bit and you pet his head. The snoring was still heard from the next room, but you were about to leave so it didn't matter. You would shower if there was a bathroom, but that would be for another time, it seems. Toby looked up at you with his tail wagging, as if wondering when you were going. Eventually, you left the room with Ghostie's soothing words in mind, beckoning Toby to go with you.

Your pocket felt strangely empty, and you noticed the snowman on the nightstand nearby. You grabbed him gently and placed him in your pocket, glad that he wasn't left in your pockets in the rush.

"Finally! Thank you, human. Believe it or not, but I've gotten quite accustomed to your pocket. It's quite pleasant in there."

*He's weird. I like it.*

You after you put on your camera, scarf and ate some sunflower seeds, you finally walked down the stairs and went to the innkeeper. She didn't notice you at first, prompting you to ring the bell. The inn smelled like baked goods and carrots.

"Oh!" She looked at you, leaning over the counter just a bit to see your face properly. "Why hello there young'un!"

You waved politely.

"You look like you had a great sleep! Which is incredible really, considering that you were only up there for about 2-3 hours or so. Here's your money back, hon."

Huh? She counted out 80G, which was eight coins with tens engraved on them, and she handed them to you with a smile, flashing a set of bunny teeth at you.

"I wouldn't feel good as an innkeeper if I charged you that much for a mere cat nap! I'm honestly baffled at how you got that much gold in the first place, really. But regardless, you rushed up here so fast I could barely give you a room key! Your dog was very helpful, to say the least. Is he a royal guard trainee?"

You glanced over at Toby, who was busy rolling on the floor. He yipped at you upon eye contact.

'Not that I know of.'

"Well regardless, pay me if you want to stay overnight. I'll gladly accept. Now go on your merry way, little one."

You were about to leave, but a smaller bunny caught your attention, jumping up to try and see you from the counter. You walked up to the counter and signed a quick hi.

"H-Hey! Your ears look weird."

*I second that.*

 _'Hey!'_  
"Bun! That's not polite! I'm sorry, Sunbun is still learning more about time and place." You gave her a quick shrug; you heard worse insults, really.

"Sorry mama. Anyway, mom says that sleeping can recover your health above your maximum HP. What's maximum HP?"

You thought a bit before responding.

'It's how healthy you are I think.'

"Oh okay. Bye!"

Bun's dismissal was prompt and quick to the point, but kids were all like that. Yes, even you at times.

*It pays to be honest with yourself.*

 _'It does, doesn't it?'_

You walked out of the inn, heading to the town with a smile. You were well rested, you ate something,-

*I doubt that can qualify as a healthy breakfast, Frisk.*

 _'It is if I believe it is.'_

*Suuuure. And I'm the boogeyman.*

 _'…You aren't, right?'_

*God—Frisk, what do you think?*

'I think that you should answer that.'

*I'm the big bad wolf.*

 _'That's somehow believable.'_

*You wound me, Frisky. My heart is rendered into a tattered mess-*

Ghostie would stop the dramatics soon enough, you supposed.

*Crackle- snap goes my soul, as you stop listening to my tales of woe.*

 _'You were teary eyed because of butterscotch pie, Ghostie.'_

*N-No I wasn't! and you were also very teary, you chubbernutter.*

 _'Am not!'_

*Are too!*

 _'If I'm a chubbernutter, then you know what you are?'_

*What?*

'…'

*I'm waiting.*

 _'Coming up with relevant insults is hard okay?'_

You noticed that you had stopped walking in the middle of town, so you decided to hold the pressing conversation for a more private section of the place.

'I'll find a good one when you're least expecting it.'

*Don't count on it.*

You grabbed one of the last pine twigs in your pocket and nibbled on the leaves, wishing that you could have some butterscotch pie soon. Sure, you had the last slice that Toriel gave you, but.. you felt the odd need to save it for later. You couldn't just go back to the ruins and ask her for another. Maybe she wouldn't want to see you again. Speaking of pie…

 _'Hey Ghostie'_

*Mm?*

 _'What happened to that cool pie I made?'_

*Which one? I don't really remember you making a pie.*

 _'You know, the mind room pie. I made it a while ago. Yesterday or the day before I think. Maybe even before that; I don't know how much time we've been here for.'_

*Oooh that one? It kind of just.. goes on and off. Usually when you aren't thinking about food. So it's mostly here.*

 _'Oh shut up'_

*You know that life would be a lot more boring if I did, Frisket. Plus, mind shenanigans and furniture really isn't the best in terms of consistency. One time it was filled with fried food and steak.*

 _'Touché. Also, we should really get a calendar.'_

*And the steak was like thiiis big...*

You walked around, checking out the town. There were tons of places you could go, really, but you decided to go into the nearby shop. It smelled like.. cinnabuns… You practically floated into the bakery with Toby by your side, breathing in the smell of baked goods like it was mana from heaven. A purple bunny caught your eye from the cashier-desk, while a nearby monster with a treat bag in hand approached you.

"I'm guessing you like the smell of her treats, huh? Welcome to the shop, kid."

'Thanks!'

The odd monster walked away. It looked like an old version of snowdrake, and he had a mustache on his beak made of feathers. A strange look, but you weren't going to act surprised now. You approached the bunny at the counter, who was placing some steamy treats and goodies in the display counter. She sold many souvenirs too, like little Snowdin fridge magnets, iconic cups with puns on them, tiny furniture for pet rocks (which was oddly sold out), and thermoses (not to keep things warm, but extra cold… Oh nevermind, it has a little switch to go from hot to cold. Convenient.)

You glanced at the bunny, observing how she dressed. She had a tilted bonnet on, as well as a tank top with black lace on it. Despite it being so casual, she looked elegant in the outfit.

*She really does. She isn't wearing a bra though-*

 _'I don't need to know that thank you.'_

"Hiya! Welcome to Snowdin. I can't remember the last time I saw a fresh face around here, really." She squinted, as if trying to figure something out. "Where did you come from? The capital?"

*Uhh say yes! There's tons of random monsters in the capital.*

You briefly nodded a yes, and she continued the questions. It was typical of a person from a small town, but it was still rather overwhelming.

"You don't really look like a tourist, plus you're in stripes. Wait.. are you here by yourself?"

 _'Nope. I'm here with my mom.'_

"Oh, that makes sense. Tell her I said hi! I've never seen a type of monster like you, so pardon if I seem kind of nosey."

 _'it's okay.'_

"Now, I doubt that you came in here just to say hi, dear. Don't you want anything to eat? I sell cinnabunnies and bisicles, both made in house. They're really the icons of my shop."

She gestured a sign that lay on the counter, and it said: Be my honey and eat Cinnabunnies! (and bisicles.)

Bisicles- 15G

Cinnamon bun(ny)-25G

"The rest is crafted by the townsfolk, really. Helps em get on their feet a bit, and they get some shares of the profit."

You checked your pockets to see if you had any space for treats.

[Frisk: Lv.1]

[HP-20/20]

[G-231]

 **{Item}**

[Butterscotch Pie

Tough Glove

Sunflower seed packetx4

The Devil's half donut]

*In hindsight, that's pretty accurate. I bet that was a very traumatizing experience for a person that is only used to chocolate chips or custard in a donut.*

 _'Don't forget the strawberry jam, Ghostie.'_

*How could I? Gotta love strawberries. They're the MVP of everything donut.*

You giggled a bit before reading the rest of your inventory.

[Broken Crayons

Inhaler

Monster candies

Photo of Snowdrake's mom.

Photo of Grandma.

Temflake]

Most of it could fit in two of your pockets fairly easily, so you decided to get the thermos and some goodies as well.

"So, you have enough space, hon?"

You gave her a thumbs up and she smiled a little bit more. 'I'll take the thermos, three bisicles and two cinnabunnies, please.'

"Okay then honey! I bet your mom will love these too; it's a recipe that has never failed to amaze!" said the bunny as she packaged the treats. "here ya go! That'll be 112G."

*You hear that? that's the sound of your wallet dying an undignified death. It's crying because of starvation.*

 _'What's important is that I don't cry because of starvation. Plus we have a thermos.'_

*True. Now we have water!*

 _'Yay water!'_

You paid for the treats and unpacked one, nibbling on it with an included fork. It was heaven. You savored every bite, leaving a half to eat later with Chara. You also gave a piece to Toby, which he promptly ate. He licked his mouth for five minutes after that. You also took a photo of the side that you left untouched.

"Oh! I almost forgot. We are also selling some limited time items. It's a tough glove and a manly bandanna. It's very rare to see human-made items down here, so I doubt it'll last long on the shelves."

*Wait.. didn't you already get a glove like this one?*

 _'Hm? Yeah. I have it on right now, actually.'_

*let's get the other half then! it would be more useful, wouldn't it?*

 _'True.'_

'I'll get the bandanna and the gloves.'

"Really? Wow, this is the sale of the century!"

After buying everything and paying for it, you could hear the desperate cries of your kiddy-wallet, anxious to see some gold again for once. You were broke, but you were happy. Shush.

"Come again soon dear!" she said, waving a very cash-filled bye at you. Toby walked with you and stared at your cinnabun expectantly. You tore off a quarter of the cinnabun and he ate it immediately. Once he noticed that you weren't going to give him any more of the cinnabun, he gave you a quick lick on the cheek and trotted off to do who knows what. You could see him walking around the town like he was in charge of it.

*..So. The monsters here think that you aren't a human. That's going to benefit us in the long run.*  
'Yeah. Now all we need to do is look around.'

*..Where do we start? The place is huge.*

 _'Well, I guess we can just start from the left side of town and then work our way through the right.'_

You walked over to a large sign with Christmas lights on them. "Welcome to Snowdin!" it said. You took a photo of the sign, as well as a photo of the town from your point of view. And a couple of photos of Toby, because he was too funny to NOT take a photo of. He rolled in yellow snow a couple of times, but then you realized that it was really just some spilled food-coloring that was in the bakery's trash bin.

*I mean.. this is better than the other alternative…*

 _'Agreed. Yuck.'_

You saw some nearby flowers near the sign and sniffed them. They smelled like snow and peppermint, with a hint of dog. You gave them a little pet and moved on.

After that, you walked over to a nearby bunny. His fur was completely white, save for some pink on his mouth and ears. He was staring at a bunny that was walking a.. bunny? When you caught his attention, he looked back at the lady and sighed.

"Hey kid. You see that lady over there? Something about her disturbs me. Can't understand why, but it just does. " He stayed there, deep in thought as he contemplated more on the bunny's weirdness.

"I think I've figured it out!.. no, nevermind." He sighed again, and you took this cue to leave.

You walked over to the bunny. She seemed normal enough, even though she was walking a baked treat.

"Isn't my cinnamon the cutest? Bunbuns are so adorable.. tee hee!"

You nodded, trying not to think about how odd her voice sounded. She started randomly saying "bun-bun-bun-bun-bun" repeatedly until you left.

*Creepy.. The bunny dude was right.*

 _'Is this normal down here?'_

*No, it's just that monsters are so unpredictable that they have just stopped getting surprised.. most of the time.*

You walked over to a big blue bear. He sat there with a present in hand, tucking it carefully under the tree before turning to talk to you.

"Some awful teen monsters tormented a local monster by decorating its tree-like horns. We made a tradition to give it gifts to make it feel better."

*Do.. Do you think that he's talking about Gyftrot?*

 _'Probably. I hope he enjoys the gift I gave him.'_

He spoke again, snapping your attention back to him as he stood up, glancing at the present under the tree.

"So... I guess it was a good thing that they tormented the monster..?"

Aaand it was time to leave again. However, you observed the tree before you left. It was cautiously decorated, with some presents addressed to 'santa'. So he DOES exist!

*Frisk no*

 _'FRISK YES.'_

*This is very nonsensical. How can an overweight, elderly man manage to give presents to everyone in the world, while simultaneously making it happen in one night and controlling flying reindeer?*

 _'Maaaaagic'_

*Frisk, I know what magic is. You have literally SEEN people use magic. This ain't it.*

 _'It is if I believe it is'_

*No it isn't*

 _'Stop being a hater, Ghostie. You're cramping my youthful naïve style.'_

*Sometimes I wish I can say I understand kids. Every conversation with you makes me question that.*

A young monster with yellow scales and a plated back ran over to you very suddenly. He jumped in place for a while and seemed generally excitable over nothing. He smiled dumbly but upon noticing that you weren't one to start a conversation, he started it himself.

"Hey! Yo! You're a kid too, right? That's so cool! What kind of monster are you? I can tell you're a kid because of your striped shirt by the way- also I love your scarf!" he touched the scarf with his tail and his eyes widened in surprise. "YOOO! It's super warm!"

'..Thanks?'

"Oh is that Flake? Hiya!" He looked down at one of your pockets where the snowman was peeking out. The two chattered for a moment and you were third wheeling in a mere 2 minutes. Awkward…

*I.. I didn't know that he had a name.*

 _'Me neither.. I guess everyone here knows each other.'_

*Well, it's bound to happen in such a small town I guess.*

 _'I don't know if I should leave or stay. Either way, it's gonna be bad because if I stay, I'd be intruding in the conversation-which isn't really interesting by the way, or I would need to go away but I'd be taking the snowma-Flake away with me too..'_

*Tis a complication that will cost you dearly. Should you stay, your ancestors will wail in the awkwardness of your presence. Should you go, you shall melt faster than.. er.. Flake.*

"Well, it was fun talking to you! I hope that this kid can take you to where you wanna go!" The monster kid turned his attention to you, not knowing the intense feeling of self-consciousness that you were radiating by the second.

"It's pretty cool that you are also a kid! There's barely any kids here except for Snowdrake and the rock family's children, but they don't move much. Don't tell anyone, but roleplaying "Humans and Monsters" isn't as fun when you have to move them to do every scene." He looked around before whispering it.

'But don't they move on their own?'

*Nope. Rock monsters need to have more magic to move. It comes with age since they absorb energy from the earth. Pretty cool, huh?*

'Yep!'

The monster kid looked at Papyrus, who was walking into a house adorned with Christmas lights.

"Well, maybe that tall skeleton guy is a kid. I wonder if he is an adult for real, y'know?"

'Maybe, maybe not.'

"True! You can never know sometimes! My cousin always acted like a kid back home, watching some cheesy cartoons about monsters with cat ears. They looked a lot like you, actually! She also went to the garbage dump a lot."

*That doesn't sound very sanitary..*

"MK! It's time for dinner!" yelled a very motherly voice from a house in a nearby clearing.

"COMING MOM! I gotta go, that's my parents. I'll come to talk to you later! See ya, kid!"

You waved a goodbye, still confused as to what just happened but amused regardless. Everybody here was so friendly. It was refreshing, really.

You walked over to a large bear in an orange jumpsuit. He stood outside a bar, watching everything with seemingly nothing to do. He noticed you and bent over a bit to meet your eye level.

*Way to accentuate your shortness.*

 _'Shush'_

"Hello, little one."

You waved hi. He seemed to want to say more, so he did.

"You look like a tourist, so I'll tell you something. This town doesn't have a mayor. But if there's trouble, a tall skeleton will tell a fish lady about it. Thaaaats politics!"

'Politics?'

"Politics." There was an awkward pause, so you left after there was nothing else that was worth saying.

There was a large restaurant in front of you, with bright orange neon lights. "GRILLBYS". The smell of grease permeated the air, but after eating the cinnabun, it didn't really seem very appealing now. You walked over to greet a mouse with a large scarf that dragged across the floor. She looked somber despite everyone's apparent behavior.

"Everyone here is always laughing and cracking jokes, trying to forget our modern crises… Dreariness. Crowding. Lack of sunlight. I would join them, but I'm not very funny. But at least I'm not making puns."

…The underground was really going through tough times, even though it looked so happy at first, huh?

*That's just the way it is, Frisk. There were things done to try and fix everything, but they.. it didn't work out. They can only hope that something happens to fix things.*

 _'I hope it happens soon then..'_

*…*

There was a taller monster with large horns and an orange mask and cloak. He hummed before speaking. "Well, we all know the underground has problems- big ones, in fact, but we smile anyway. Why? We can't do anything, so why be morose about it?"

"I.. didn't really think about it that way."

He hummed again in a cheery tune. "Just smile-smile. Make them smile-smile."

You walked away with the smiling monster's words in mind. Why be sad about something you couldn't change? From now on, you were going to try your best. You were determined to get out of here and free the monsters.

*I hope so, Frisk.*

*..I hope so..*

You quickly grabbed Toby before he could.. express himself on the tree. He yipped at you, annoyed with your interruption, but you got to a nearby clearing and let him go to do his business in some nearby trees.

You saw a family of rocks nearby. One had a mustache, another had a small ballcap, and another just looked like a plain rock. This must have been what the monster kid was talking about.

You walked over to the green rock, which didn't seem phased with your presence. "Let's play Monsters and Humans!"

The other small rock groaned. "You're not gonna make me be the human again, are you?"

 _'I take offense to that.'_

*Same.*

You walked over to the mustached rock, wondering what he would say.

"Ah, to be young again. The world sure felt boundless then."

Some splashing caught your attention, making you look over. A huge werewolf grabbed chunks of ice, chucking them into the river. You ran over to watch; it was pretty interesting! Werewolves were always so mythical and seeing one up close was almost magical.

He noticed that you were observing and stopped for a minute.

"Hey, little guy!"

'Hi! How does this work?'

He noticed that the ice was piling up and chucked them into the river quickly before it became too much, then he pulled a lever to stop the ice from going through.

"Well, this here machine chops up the ice deep underground, then it brings it up! I throw it into the river, and this same river goes through Waterfall, Hotland and the Capital! The ice just goes to Hotland though. It goes to the CORE and cools it off from there."

"Cool, huh?"

'How come you have to do this all the time though?'

"Well, my job is pretty important. If there isn't any ice to cool the CORE down, then it'll get too hot and that won't be very pleasant for us monsters."

'True.'

He looked like he wanted to say more, but a gauge on the machine started turning yellow. His fur raised up in surprise and he jogged back to the machine.

"Well, I'd best be working again! Thanks for the chitchat!"

You waved goodbye as he pulled the lever and went to work once more.

Following the road, you walked up to a clearing where you could see the river. You were about to leave, but a sudden ring on your ancient flip-phone got your attention.

It rang two times before you answered.

"Hello! Can I speak to G…." It froze, cutting itself off immediately as if it said something it shouldn't have.

"…Wait a second. Is this the wrong number?"

It then started singing with a catchy tune, as if nothing strange had been said before.

"It's the wrong number! The wrong number song! We're very very sorry that we got it wrong! it's the wrong number! The wrong number song! We're very very sorry that we got it wrong!" and it hung up just like that.

*Who do you think that was? Who were they talking about?*

 _'I don't know Ghostie.. But this is weird.'_

*Yeah.. Let's get out of here.*

 _'Agreed.'_

You dashed out and into the town again, very unnerved and confused.

*Let's get our minds off of that. We can touch that subject later. How about you get in the librar..by?*

Huh? You stopped looked at the sign. _'It says library, not librar..oh. It's only now that I see it.'_

*It gets points for originality, I suppose.*

You walked in and said hi to the librarian.

*Librarbian.*

 _'pff'_

"Welcome to the library. Yes. We know. The sign is misspelled." his voice was monotone and very bored sounding. Like the kind of voice you get when everyone tells you the same thing every day.

*Points for self-awareness.*

There was a red Loox staring at you from the table. They smiled at you. "That look in your eye. You're someone who has difficulty deciding between puzzles, aren't you?"

*Loox have natural mind-reading skills. They can analyze you pretty well with their big eye.*

 _'I can see that.'_

 _'Pun not intended.'_

They looked back at the table, where they were busy knitting a pair of horn-warmers. You couldn't imagine how they managed to do it, but they did it this far, and that's what counted.

You walked over to a green cat that was pretending to smoke a lollipop. She audibly fake-coughed, trying to look like an experienced smoker. "Cough-Cough. When I was younger, my teachers gave me word-searches when they ran out of assignments. I thought they were a waste of time. But look at me now. I'm the number-one word search creator in the whole underground!"

"I love my job too!" said a yellow horse-like monster. "I work on the newspaper! There's so little to report on, that we just fill it with puzzles and games!"

'Sounds nice.'

"Oh, it is!"

They both went back to their own devices, chatting a bit before doing whatever they were doing before you arrived.

You walked over to the books and picked one up. Almost all of them were school reports, oddly enough.

(Monster funerals, technically speaking, are cool as heck. When old monsters kick the bucket, they turn into dust. At funerals, we take that person's dust and spread it over their favorite thing. Then their essence will live on in that thing… Uh.. am I at the page minimum yet? I'm kinda sick of writing this thing…)

*Interesting, huh?*

 _'it's kinda weird..'_

That explained the white dust on the door when Toriel.. melted it.. but..

Why was the toy knife coated in it?

Who had that knife before?

Whose dust was on that knife, living on in it up to now?

You felt your heart sink to your feet. You witnessed a corpse.

You took a deep breath and grabbed another book in a different section.

(While monsters are mostly made of magic, humans are mostly made of water. Humans, with their physical forms, are much stronger than us. But they will never know the joy of expressing themselves through magic. They'll never get a special bullet-pattern birthday card…)

It ended there, but it made you think a bit more about the monsters. You already knew that magic was a large part of them, but what about humans? You doubted that humans were that strong, you barely made it up to now.

*Well, humans used to have magic before. You just forgot it. Everyone did.*

 _'Huh. If I had magic, I would use it to fly.'_

*Really? That's it?*

 _'Yep. I would reach high-up places, and then fly over everyone who looks down on me! It would be an act of perfect revenge!'_

*Your idea of revenge is kinda passive, Frisk.*

 _'Nuh-uh!'_

*Yeah-ha. Let's keep reading. I like looking at the handwriting.*

You grabbed a yellow book. It seemed very unenthusiastic, but nobody was going to be excited to write an essay, so you gave it a pass.

(Here I am… Writing this book. A person comes in and picks up the book… They start reading it..!)

*…Are they serious? That's it?*

You turned the page to find some more writing.

(Oh, sorry. I'm still writing that one.)

*I swear, these kids nowadays are just in it for shits and giggles.*

 _'Hey!'_

*Shuts and figgles.*

You grabbed another book and read it.

(Because they are made of magic, monsters' bodies are attuned to their SOUL. If a monster doesn't want to fight, it's defenses will weaken. And the crueler the intentions of our enemies, the more their attacks will hurt us. Therefore, if a being with a powerful soul struck us with the intent to kill…)

You didn't like where this was going.

*I don't like this one, Frisky.*

You touched that knife in the ruins.

You turned the page, surprised to see nothing except a small sentence.

(Um.. let's end this chapter here.)

*Saved by the self-aware author. Thank you, Snow-Josh. Wow, he really appears a lot, huh?*

 _'I guess so.'_

You were halfway through the books, so you grabbed another one and flipped through until you found a highly bookmarked page.

(MONSTER HISTORY PART 4)

*Hm?*

(Fearing the humans no longer, we moved out of our city, HOME. We braved harsh cold, damp swampland, and searing heat… Until we reached what we now call our capital. "NEW HOME." Again, the king is really bad at names..?)

*I mean, this place has a city named 'Hotland.' Clearly not the best name-maker down here, but hey, we can't judge.*

You were determined to finish reading through the books! You searched through the school reports until you found another one.

(Love, Hope, Compassion… this is what people say monster SOULs are made of. But the absolute nature of "SOUL" is unknown. After all, humans have proven their SOULs don't need these things to exist.)

*It makes sense.. in hindsight, I mean. I don't know how you still think humans are good, Frisk.*

 _'Well... I'll admit. There's a lot of bad people in the world. There are bad people everywhere. But even still, I'm not gonna give up. I won't stop believing in humans, or people in general.'_

*..Why?*

 _'Because there are also good people. There has always been a good and bad side. It depends on the person and which side they'll pick. Nobody is automatically a bad guy, that's crazy. Plus, you are a good person, I'm a good person, my grandma is the best person, and even Nala, Dewey and Joey are.. kind of okay. They're kids. Bad kids, but still kids. They'll change. I think.'_

Ghostie sighed but didn't seem to completely reject the thought. The silence was enough to make you go back to your own business.

You walked out of the librarby, waving a bye to the monsters and librar..bian.. and you skipped along to see the rest of the town.

What caught your eye first was a mailbox crammed and stuffed with mail. It heaved and creaked with a small breeze, ready to burst at the slightest touch.

You read the name on the mailbox.

"Sans."

*Yuck.*

 _'It's his house, can't start hatin.'_

Ghostie took over all of a sudden, making you wobble and come back into the mind room.

 _'What was that for?'_

*Just wanna check something out.*

You watched as she approached the mailbox, reading what it was from.

Most of them were from Grillbys, others seemed to be from "CORE living services!" or a loaning company. While an occasional love letter in slurred and smudged handwriting poked out of the mix.

 _'Ghostie, don't touch them! That's not ours!'_

*Cmon' frisk, it's a mailbox overflowing with unread junk mail. It's not a federal crime. Chill.*

 _'I got a bad feeling about this...'_

*Relax, I'm just lookin'. See? Hands are here, not on there.* Ghostie leaned over a tad more to see the mail that poked out, but she didn't touch it. *Still, it wouldn't hurt to take a small peek…*

You could see some of the mail now.

"Pay your damn tab, Sans." -Grillbys. It had scorch marks on the paper and singes on the edges.

"HaAaayy sansyyy~ I missS YouU.."

*Ew no just—no.*

 _'Yeah, it's freaking me out too.'_

"Core Living Services! Home, Renovation, and Utilities!"

"MTT loan department. Make your wallet go 'Ohhh yesss!'"

*Odd. I'm out.*

And just like that, you were back in your body. You looked a bit more before stepping away from Sans' mail. Sketchy.

*Not to mention the love lette-*

 _'We don't talk about that.'_

*But it was funny-*

 _'Never.'_

*Not even a bit?*

 _'Fine. We can talk about that on February 31st.'_

*Gotcha- wait…*

You checked out the other mailbox.

*This mailbox is labeled 'PAPYRUS' in a very iconic font. Do you wanna open it?*

 _'It's not good to do that.. it would be snooping..'_

*But you would be able to get to know him better.*

 _'Well, when you put it that way...'_

You looked around stealthily before opening it very slowly, millimeter by millimeter and hoping that it wouldn't creak.

*It's empty.*

That was underwhelming.

There was some upturned snow coming from behind the house. You looked and saw a grey door, but when you tried opening it, you found that it was locked from the inside.

You heard some monsters walking by and decided it was best to skedaddle out of there for now. This was enough trespassing for a lifetime.

*Scaredy cat.*

 _'Rudolph-cheeks.'_

*HEY! I'll have you know that my cheeks are naturally rosy.*

 _'I'll believe it when santa stops giving me presents.'_

*Oh god not this again..*

 _'I am committed to this idea Ghostie.'_

You were thinking about visiting the house but decided against it. You doubted that he would enjoy the thought of you intruding on his home, or well, attempting to do so.

An igloo caught your eye. You walked over to inspect it, reading a nearby sign.

(Don't want to walk to the other side of town? I feel ya. That's for total chads! Try the undersnow tunnels! (tm), dug by the local ice-machine. Also (tm). They're efficiently laid out!)

*Well, wanna walk through it?*

 _'I guess. I'm kind of nervous though, I'm afraid of the dark.'_

*Don't worry, I'll switch if you get too scared.*

 _'Gotcha.'_

You walked in and fell on a slide of ice, sliding speedily to the other tunnel. You could barely see the faces of small critters and monsters that lived underneath the ice with the intense rapidity until you slid up a small curve and out through another igloo. You took a minute to catch your breath.

*You okay?*

 _'That- that was..'_

 _'AMAZING! Let's do this again!'_

And so you did.

Many times.

Ghostie didn't mind, she went through the slide a lot as well. At some point, the monster kid had come through the tunnels as well and you both slid through the igloos together.

You got motion sickness. The monster kid did too, but he left to play with Snowdrake.

It was worth it.

But where were you now? You were laying in the snow and looking at the crystalline ceiling while trying to catch your breath.

*That.. that was pretty cool, Frisk.*

 _'I know right? I'm kinda hungry now, actually.'_

*We can find some human food to eat soon. In the meantime, eat the cinnabun. It can trick your mind into eating something real.*

 _'Okay. We did explore the town and learn about the monsters; so far this day has been a victory.'_

*A very odd victory, but a victory nonetheless.*

You searched your pockets for the cinnabun, but your fingers brushed the familiar feel of laminated paper.

You pulled out a photo, but it wasn't a photo of your Grandma, but instead a photo of a very motherly looking Snowdrake with a small chick beside her.

*I think we should give this to Snowdrake. He's probably looking for it. I don't even know how it was taped on Gyftrot in the first place, really.*

 _'That is pretty odd, actually. How did Gyftrot stay still enough to have the photo taped on? It's pretty cruel when you think about the fact that he couldn't take it off himself.. but anyway, let's find Snowdrake later and give him the photo. I think this is important for him.'_

*If only we knew how to look..*

You looked at the back of the small photograph. "To my beloved Snowy. Your jokes are so funny!"

You thought about grandma. You needed to give this back.

You looked around the quiet town. So far, you need to meet up with Papyrus while trying to hide the fact that you almost trespassed his home-

*You're never gonna let this go, are you?*

Then you need to find Snowdrake and give him back his photo, check out Grillbys and eat something extra greasy, then.. Then you need to find a way out.

*It won't be easy.*

 _'Nothing is easy.'_

You can do it.

And so you stayed determined; determined to get out, determined to help the monsters, and determined to keep believing.

[Frisk- LV-0.9]

[Snowdin Town- 5:32]

[The fate of monsters and humans is in your hands!]

* * *

"Oh gosh lady.. you alright?"

"I'm… not exactly in a good mood right now dear, no." She wanted to leave. She wanted to go back to her home, read the same books she had memorized by heart and forget. Forget about the bad thoughts, forget about the sadness, forget about the way she could have done better. Her tears weren't silent anymore as ugly broken hiccups escaped her weary voice.

The sentry was worried. For a while it seemed as though he was trying to find the words to say, and yet he had none. She tried to tell him to leave, to let her be and not to involve himself in any drama with her around, but she didn't want to. She wanted to have somebody to talk to again. Somebody to listen.

And so she said everything, leaving out her status as former queen and her identity. He wouldn't try to prod her for more information, nor would he sound disinterested. He listened without any overly comforting words, nor with any malice. It was the kind of silence that was comforting enough to let her continue. Saying all the things she couldn't say for years, back when she was bottling it up with distractions. Toriel couldn't thank him enough if she tried. Her broken heart was lighter and her fogged mind clear. He had eventually left to check on the child, telling her to 'hang in there'.

At some point, she thought about the children. How she felt like she knew them, even when it was the first time she had seen them. How she had learned to distinguish a happy smile from an empty one. And… how they were nothing like Chara. The blurred faces were clear, and she remembered all of them. The way that some looked suspicious of the shoes in a disparity of sizes. The way they were happy when they finally had a home. The way they left. Who they were.

One little ballerina that gave Toriel joy. She left through the ruins door.

One small fighter that learned to love. He left while Toriel slept.

One cowboy that found a new life. He left with a threat.

One little chef that helped Toriel cook. He left with kind words.

One that studied everything but never learned of happy thoughts. She left with strategy.

One that had a little knife and a ribbon for comfort. She left through the capital and gave Whimsuns a reason to fear.

And one little girl who was determined to go.

Frisk…

She had nothing else to do. Well, nothing that she wanted to do anyway. She was at rock bottom all this time and she kept denying it. Gerson and the others would think she was a shell of what she used to be.

… But she could always just change. She had nothing to lose. She could fix at least one thing, and at least she could know that she tried. She couldn't fix the past, nor the future no matter how much she tried. She couldn't go back, slap her old self in the face and fix everything. She could, however, fix what she could. Toriel could get up, stop crying and feeling pitiful and leave, until there was something she could have done.

Did she want to change?

Of course she did. She wanted to make things better every day, every moment that she walked around her empty house. She wanted a chance. And that chance was now.

"T͚͔̘̻h̺̥͍͕͉͕e̲̳̟̪ͣ͒̐̿̌̏̚n̪̍ͭͨ̒̚ͅ ̜̂ͬG̨̻̦Õ̪̩̟̤̩̀͂̋ͥ͌ͧ!̈̇͑̒ͣ͂ͭ"

She looked around, but nobody was there but herself. By the time she realized it, she was up against the stairs, looking blankly at the house that seemed grey to her cleared vision. Fire budded in her paws with every breath she took. For the first time in a long time she felt rejuvenated once more. Her eyes wide and blank but seeing everything and all the possibilities and choices she could never see before. Her still breath kicked up like she was breathing again and her pace grew faster, stronger and more willing.

Willing to change and refusing to give up until the end.

She wanted to live.

She wanted to move on.

She wanted something more to HOPE for.

Toriel walked through the familiar catacombs after grabbing her cloak and changing her garb. She glanced at a discarded crown in her drawer but left it in its place. This time, she wouldn't be leaving the ruins as royalty, but as Toriel. And she was going to fix her last mistake once and for all. She brandished the delta rune on her robe, not with guilt but with pride, taking confident strides through the ruins with a new purpose. Her Heartache, the burden that she had carried for centuries... It was her new strength.

The clothes she wore and the passion in her heart were that of a queen moving forward, and she wasn't going to give up anymore. One could even call it determination.

She looked at the tree that she had grown since Chara had fallen. It was growing so wonderfully, with a beautiful set of leaves that left the monsters in awe. But then, as soon as Chara died, it's bark turned black and wiry, and it's leaves all fell off. At some point, every time that old tree grew any new leaves, they all fell off, forming a morbid little pile of red crinkly leaves. Toriel knew the feeling.

Toriel stopped to task the Whimsuns in caring for the flowers. They obliged shyly, happy to able to help. It took a while to be able to appeal to the timid Whimsuns, but upon noticing their love for flowers and plant life, they were perfect for the task. Toriel set off, her robe underneath the cloak she wore, and she walked into the city through the balcony, fire grasped in her palms. Her usually black irises alight with flames.

She spoke to the river person calmly and slowly. "Take me to the Capital." It's empty eyes gazed at its sole passenger, before snapping its gaze back at the river, suddenly straightening its posture. The queen was rising once more.

"Yes, my liege."

"No titles, dear. This time, I'll be going as Toriel Dr-.."

She forgot her last name. After all this time, it had faded away with the years like an old memory. She really was going to start over anew, wasn't she?

"…Just Toriel. Oh, and one last thing, make sure the human sees this." A scarf was placed into a plastic bag, imbued with fire magic and warmth. It was the least she could do. Furry hands placed the bag in bandaged ones.

And for the first time in so long...

She was living again.

[Toriel. 7:23]

[Never give up.]


	16. Humans, Skeletons and Flowers, Oh my!

**A/N: Whew, 13,000+ words and 49-something pages. Enjoy reading, guys! PS: Nala is still a bad kid please remember that -u-''**

* * *

Nala felt sick. what was she thinking? what was going through her mind when she did.. this?

She killed somebody. It replayed over and over in her head as she was left wondering how things escalated so quickly. She used to think she was a good person. Angry, yes. Angry at a lot of things.

So angry that she had no choice but to direct it to something. The person that made her angry in the first place. Frisk. She didn't even know why she was friends with that dweeb in the first place! Yeah, that's right! She made Nala angry again after all those years. Frisk opened a long-healed wound again.

* * *

"Come on, Jasmine. It's going to be fine. We're just going to go to the park. I honestly don't understand why you're so defensive about Nala not going." A very persistent aunt stood by the door with her favorite niece in hand. Said niece hopping in place, oblivious to their bickering.

"I don't know, Marcia... You just got your car out of the mechanic and I'm pretty sure you don't know how to drive an automatic car transmission."

"It's the same thing! Jas, I need to practice anyway. But the saddest thing about this is that you don't trust your sister enough to drive to the park. THE PARK. Are you kidding me, Jasmine?"

Jasmine froze, not knowing if she should be insulted or guilty before conceding. They never had the best sibling relationship; usually fighting about one thing and bickering the next. But this time, she was tired of arguing. She just wanted some peace for once; she wanted to get along better with her sister, and the first step to doing that was trust. Besides, she still knew her sibling; she wouldn't do anything to her daughter. Plus, it was only a 40-minute drive to the park, and it wasn't going to be a rush hour yet either.

She sighed, putting her worries aside for just one day. She needed more coffee. "Okay, you got me there, Mars. Just… Be careful, alright?"

"Of course. Gosh, It's almost as if you think we're going to crash somewhere!" Jasmine inhaled sharply.

"Just go. Be back before noon and stay safe."

"Will do, Jas. You won't regret this!" why did she feel like she'd regret this?

"Bye mommy!" An excitable little girl bounced out of the mudroom while holding her aunt's hand.

"Bye love. See you soon!"

The door shut and Jasmine wondered if she did the right thing. She never had such a bad feeling before, but it was probably her nerves; Nala had a rather weak composition for a girl her age, but some fresh air would do her well. Plus, she'd have lots of things to do now that Nala wasn't home. Like…

Nothing really came to mind. Television it is.

She grabbed a coffee cup from the rack and waited for it to brew as a tiny yorkie puppy scurried over to her spot on the couch. She searched for the remote between the plush cushions and pulled it out, flipping to the first channel while petting the fluffy ball of fur.

["And around noon or so, 4 or 5:00 pm, we'll be seeing a pretty hefty thunderstorm, folks!"]

Jasmine paled.

* * *

It's Frisk's fault. She asked for it when she just… puked in front of everyone. Nala shuddered at the memory.

A memory of a time when things were way different. When they were inseparable friends while Joey and Dewey were still two mean idiots who bullied them.

But now, she wasn't just a victim. She wasn't just using her anger 'recreationally' or doing dumb pranks on a person who deserved it.

She was the villain.

It was supposed to be a 'prank'. a gag. The news crew on TV said that the hole wasn't even that deep. The tool they used to measure it barely got up to 5 feet, and you could barely see all the way down. "An optical illusion makes it look deeper than it really is." they would say.

The trio went to the top of the mountain, and it was enormous. But, they had gotten that far. It would be pointless to have gone the 2-hour trek up the mountain.

Frisk didn't want to go. Nala knew this. Everyone knew this. She knew sign language; she knew what Frisk was saying. They were going to scare her, leave her in the hole for a bit then come back, but when a heavy thud was sounded at the bottom, they walked away. They fled. That's all they knew what to do when met with a problem. They run away, and let the others deal with it.

And she was the one who pushed Frisk down there.

She didn't go to school for those days. She had to act. Lie. She was covering up a murder and neither Joey nor Dewey understood just what they did that awful morning.

She never enjoyed lying. It went against what she knew about, everything that made her philosophy. Once you lie, you have to keep lying; it's a poison and she was willingly taking it. Every time she lied it felt wrong. She was torn between telling the truth or lying more.

Frisk's grandma kept looking around, wondering what happened to the only other person in her life. She cried, she begged. She looked around and everyone would stare or gossip about the wandering old lady that never said a word. Posters were put up, but it was like nobody remembered about Frisk anymore. Joey would pick on some other kid with Dewey by his side, and when Nala asked them about her, they would sneer at the name; like it was a bad memory or an annoying thought. Other than that, nothing more.

Did Frisk ever exist?

"They say those who come to the mountain never come back."

No...

"Nala?"

She jolted up from her seat, grabbing her cup of orange juice before it fell down on her Yorkie.

"Y-yes, mom?"

"Nala, honey, are you okay? you haven't even touched your food! You usually finish that in less than a minute. Don't tell me I mixed up Trix and Flintstones again.."

If only she knew. If only she knew that her daughter was a murderer, sitting here and getting the things she didn't deserve. What about Frisk? she's dead! Her body is in a mountain and forgotten.

"Nala?"

She looked over at her mother yet again, trying to avoid looking at those eyes. Eyes that could see through her like nothing.

"Hon, I'm getting a bit worried for you now. You've been spacing out a lot. Are you sure there's not something you want to say?"

 _ **Say it you murderer-**_

"N-no mom, I.. I'm fine. It's nothing."

"What's 'nothing'?" she pressed, grabbing another bite of scrambled eggs before continuing to prod.

"You know you can tell your mom anything, right? I'm here for you love! So whether it's about the school or boys, or, well- anything! I'm here."

At that point, Nala felt pale. Should she tell her? would she forgive her? of course not, that's stupid. Her mother wouldn't even want to look at her after this. She took a deep breath and got up from the table.

It's either Frisk or her.

"Hm? Why are you getting up? School is in an hour."

"I want to get there early." Said she, as she grabbed her backpack and left through the front door briskly, almost forgetting to lock it as she left.

"Nala! You forgot your lunch!" she yelled, only to find that her daughter had already sped off in her hello kitty bike. She sighed, sitting back down on the breakfast table, sparing a small glance and a pat on the head to the confused Yorkshire terrier that sat beside her.

"What is wrong with that child?" said a very confused mother, left to finish her breakfast in peace, barely noting the familiar face in the missing children corner of the newspaper.

* * *

Thinking about getting out of here and helping the monsters filled you with determination! you decided to walk around and find Snowdrake before moving on with everything else. He had to be around here somewhere, right?

*Maybe that monster kid knows where Snowdrake could be. They mentioned him before, right?*

 _'Now that you mention it, he did. I'll check the Giftmas tree to see if he's still there.'_

You walked over to find the monster kid with a small present; he held the present by the bow gently as he moved it over to a small spot in the bottom. Pleased with his handiwork, he hopped over to you in the same extremely excitable way.

"Yo! It's you again! What's up? Wanna play? Wanna build a snow monster? Ooh, wait! I know! Let's play monsters and humans and I'll be the monster! Oh-Oh and by the way- My name is Monster kid but you can call me MK, okay? Gotcha!"

*That's enough energy to power a car.*

 _'That's enough energy to power a rocket. For a round trip, even.'_

'Um, well, maybe later, MK. I need to find Snowdrake. Do you know where he is?'

"Oh, Snowdrake? He's over at the bridge. You know, the one that's really a rock that Papyrus painted?" Monster Kid giggled.

'How'd he do that?'

"Oh yeah, you're a tourist so you wouldn't have seen it. Well, I remember he painted it with the art club. They only meet on Octobers for some odd reason." Monster kid looked around to check if there were any eavesdroppers, then looked back with an immature grin. "If you look at the bridge, you can see the little stains in the paint. It's not even a bridge, but it was the perfect spot for Papyrus' 'Gauntlet of Deadly Terror'. Even the name is wacky."

'Oh…'

*And you were literally scared out of your mind because of a rock bridge. I was wondering why it was so sturdy.*

 _'It looked scary okay?'_

'Thanks for the info, MK! I'll come back to play with you sometime later.'

"Gotcha!"

You walked over to the igloo, headed over to the end of town and found nobody other than Snowdrake, walking down the bridge with an Icecap and…

*Jerry.*

Just your luck. You were about to walk away, but they spotted you and headed over, pulling your SOUL into battle.

[Icecap and Snowdrake walk in! they sigh…. Jerry.]

'Wait guys, let's move over to solid ground.'

They all pondered on the idea before agreeing and heading over to the clearing on the side of the bridge.

Good idea, kid!" Chirped Snowdrake.

"Whatever." Said Jerry as he rubbed his arms for warmth.

Icecap boasted about his cap.

*Just try not to look at his cap for too long and you'll survive.*

 _'I'm trying and I'm failing.'_

[Fight] [Act] [Item] [Spare]

You checked Snowdrake.

*Snowdrake. Atk 6, Def 2. This teen comedian fights to keep a captive audience.*

 _'Makes sense- I literally can't run away until it's my turn.'_

Snowdrake giggled- "I'll kill you in COLD blood!"

…That wasn't funny.

*I don't think he even knows what blood is. You got to laugh- it's the only way for him to spare you.*

 _'Fine. I'll do it when it's my turn then.'_

Jerry sighed. "Guys, it's COLD HERE. Does anyone CARE?"

Icecap was freaking out when he saw a smudge on his hat.

A volley of attacks came flying about. From Icecap's hat-icicles to Snowdrake's Crescent icicles, to Jerry's… he was busy eating Cheese puffs so he wasn't attacking. IceCap glared at his cheese puffs while staying a considerable distance away.

"Whaaaat? I'm not even gonna touch your dumb hat."

"My hat is not dumb!"

Finally, the turn ended.

*Snowdrake just realized that his name is a pun and is freaking out. Pff.*

 _'That's pretty funny, hehe.'_

*Smells like an existential crisis.*

 _'What would that even smell like?'_

*Farts and misery.*

 _'Makes sense if you think about it, and even less sense if you keep thinking.'_

[ACT]

[*Snowdrake]

[Check] [Laugh]

[Heckle] [Joke]

You tried to giggle, but it wasn't loud enough for Snowdrake to notice. Fine. You signed 'ha ha ha' while fake-giggling then. Snowdrake seemed slightly off-put by your 'laughing' but cheered up regardless.

"I KNEW IT! I am funny! Dad was wrong!" he squawked, flapping his fluffy wings around like a baby ostrich. Icecap rolled their eyes, attacking with icicles that came from both sides of the court. It took a lot of sucking-in your stomach to evade the spikes, but you made it with only a few pokes here and there.

Wait... Every time the attacks hit your SOUL, you would get a bruise or something according to where it hit you. You poked an attack before it was your turn and nothing happened.

*Only magic can influence magic. Your SOUL isn't connected to just your body, but everything about you. It too is a form of magic.*

 _'Gee, it would have been useful to know that beforehand, Ghostie.'_

*I forget okay?*

After two more turns, you finally spared IceCap after ignoring his cap. Jerry sneezed all of the sudden, probably not used to this climate. What disturbed you, however, was that he didn't cover his nose… nostrils? Holes? face-orifices? Never mind. If grandma saw him she would freak.

You ditched Jerry alongside Snowdrake. It's best to leave the Cheeto monster out of most things.

"So I was telling Grillby, the WIFI absolutely sucked and... Guys? Oh c'mon! Not again!" You felt bad, but you didn't regret it.

*Whew Frisk. Your descent into badness is growing stronger!*

 _'Like you weren't going to do the same thing.'_

*Nope, because I'm a morally-adequate child.*

 _'Why did that sound like sarcasm.'_

*You tell me.*

Lastly, you spared Snowdrake, who had calmed down by now. You put the gold from the battle in your pocket, fishing out the old photo and giving it to him.

"Hm? What's this, kid?" Snowdrake peered at it before recognition flashed in his eyes and he looked at you with a wide-eyed gawk.

"SKRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAADAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA?!"

*THIS IS WORSE THAN PAPYRUS*

 _'THIS IS COMPLETE TORTURE GOD MAKE IT STOP-'_

"Wha-Where-HOW?! HOW DID YOU FIND THIS?" He seemed more staggered than angry, but god was he loud. You covered your ears while he pranced around the snow, screeching the entire time. Only when the noise died down did you stop covering your ears.

*God, if I could save that face as a photo.*

 _'He does look pretty wacky. His teeth are pretty weird though. How does his beak move like that, and why would his beak need to move like that? I have so many questions.'_

*If there's any advice worth a dime down here, it's that you should never try and make sense of what you see in the underground. It just won't be applicable to human physics most of the time. But, that is a pretty thought-provoking question... Maybe it's for sawing… through uh... ice..?*

 _'Don't you think he would just do so with a saw?'_

*I think you know by now that the underground is too extra for puny tools.*

 _'Puny?'_

*Puny. There's magic, monsters, _so many puns_ , a king that names everything with a grain of salt, moving rocks, and don't even get me STARTED on the dogs.*

 _'So I'm guessing there's more than a few dogs?'_

*More dogs than you'll ever get to pet, Frisket. Dogs make up like… 85% of the royal guard.*

 _'Maybe that's why I got through the underground up to now.'_

*... I was going to be offended but that's sadly true. One of them even tried to eat yellow snow.*

 _'Please tell me it was food coloring.'_

*Well, it's colored, but it's sure as hell not food. It wasn't from a monster, if that's what you're thinking. They have no need to produce waste with magic food. Instead, it might have been from the animals that live underground.*

 _'So THAT'S why there are no bathrooms.'_

*Mmhmm. Wait…*

*You haven't had the need to go, right?*

 _'I have and it scares me.'_

*Good luck with that. Your best bet is either a house that miraculously, by some level of odds has one or…*

 _'Or?'_

*The forest.*

 _'I'll stick with my chances for the first option. And when I get that option-'_

*IF you get it-*

 _'You better not look because if you do I'll eat the butterscotch pie and I won't let you have a bite.'_

*I never had the intention to, and even less with that threat. Yeesh, you really know how to make a person shudder.*

 _'I didn't go too far, right?'_

*Nah, if anything, it's a good thing. Everyone should know how to defend themselves somehow, right?*

 _'Yeah! That's how I made it through the battle with Snowdrake, at least. Speaking of which, where's Snowdrake?'_

*He's over there.*

Snowdrake was eyeing you from his spot in the snow, photo held gingerly in his hand-like wing. Thankfully, he was quiet.

*That's pretty awkward. How long has he been there for?*

 _'Hopefully not the entire time. That's even more awkward.'_

"So, uh, How'd you get this photo dude? I've been looking all over for it after those bullies stole it from me." Snowdrake made a small lump of snow to sit on, and he looked at you with a curious chirping noise.

'I found it on Gyftrot. The bullies pasted it on his forehead.'

Snowdrake winced. "Whew, that's got to be rough. I'll need to say sorry to Gyftrot for the trouble. But really, thank you for bringing it back to me! This photo has a lot of value, y'know."

'How come?'

Snowdrake looked at the photo again, his expression taking a softer tone before he sighed, placing the photo in a mess of feathers in his collar. "The other monster in the photo is my mom. She's not here anymore, you dig? She used to be the only one who believed in my jokes, but she got sick and left."

*…Oh…*

"I…I don't even know if she's still alive or not… It was supposed to be a test medicine for the Royal Scientists to observe, but she never came back…"

Snowdrake's eyes got misty and you didn't know how else you could comfort him, so you gave him a hug. His feathers bristled in surprise, but soon enough he hugged back. He smelled like a wet pillow.

"Ha... Thanks, little pal. I said too much, really. You don't need to know about all of this depressing stuff. You're the one I saw the other day, are you? I didn't recognize you because your hair is all curly now, but it makes sense. You really think my jokes are funny, huh?"

You nodded.

"A kid of few words. I can respect that!"

You gave him a confident thumbs up.

*He is so wholesome.*

 _'You're wholesome.'_

*No you are.*

"All I need to do is be good enough at my jokes to be able to work at the Capital, then I'll get enough of a fanbase to find my mom. I believe I can do this. I just need to keep believing, and CHILL out!" He looked at you expectantly, and you giggled just a tad.

"And I think I can safely say that you're my second fan right now! My first one would be my mom, of course." He wiped his eyes with his feathery wing/arm/thing and looked at you again. "Thank you, little pal! What's your name, kid?"

'Frisk.'

"Frisk, huh? Cool name! Sounds like Brisk. Call me Snowy, by the way. I'll be going now, I need to catch up with Chilldrake and SnowJosh. We're gonna try stand-up."

"Oh, and one more thing; did anyone tell you that your attack patterns are kinda weird? Where're your bullets?"

*Ooh crap. Uh..*

'My bullets look embarrassing, so I ACT instead.'

*Nice comeback, Friskoo.*

 _'Thank you, wholesome person.'_

*Back At'cha, Wholesome person.*

"Weird attack patterns? OH- nevermind, I understand; I know a couple of monsters that don't even want their bullet pattern on birthday cards! It sucks, I feel ya. Well, I'll be going!"

You waved your arms to catch his attention again. "Huh? What is it, Frisk?"

'Can we take a photo?'

"A photo?" He bristled bashfully.

'Yeah! It can be good for your comedy career!'

"Well, when you put it that way, sure!" You aimed the camera above the both of you and took a selfie with Snowy, who seemed rather embarrassed about taking photos.

"Cool camera by the way! I've never seen one like this before. I'd sign your photo, but I don't have a pen, heh. I'll be going! See ya!"

'Back at ya, handsome.' He sputtered nervously, obviously not expecting you to say that. However, he recovered soon enough, and Snowy was trotting away, using his wings to gain speed.

*Frisk I thought we talked about flirting. Stop.*

 _'I haven't done it in a while, c'mon.'_

*Don't make this a habit. You flirted with mo- _Toriel,_ then with me, of all people, and now with Snowdrake?*

 _'Snowy. Get it right.'_

*Chronic flirter.*

 _'Chronic nagger.'_ **(A/N: THIS IS NOT A BAD WORD I SWEAR JUST GOOGLE IT-)**

*Am not!*

 _'Suuuure you aren't.'_

*Fine. Snack-snorter.*

 _ **'This means war.'**_

 ***Bring it.***

 _'Red cheeks.'_

*Curly fry.*

 _'Lanky limbs.'_

*Rolie Polie.*

 _'Anti-flirt'_

*Flirtaholic*

 _'Uh... Dog-pat hater?'_

*..Person.. that uh.. eats lots of sweets?*

*...*

 _'...'_

*I concede.*

'Me too.'

*So, you made a new friend. How do ya feel?*

 _'I feel accomplished, Ghostie.'_

*That's nice. By the way, your stomach has been grumbling for like an hour. You sure you're not hungry?*

 _'I'm just not in the mood for sweets; that's all I have in my inventory. Plus, I ran out of pine needles.'_

*Well, you got some money from the battle with IceCap, Snowdrake, and Jerry, right?*

 _'Just enough for a bit of food, I guess. I don't really know what it would cost.'_

*Perfect. If we're short on cash, we can sell our wares in Waterfall along the way.*

 _'Good idea, Ghostie!'_

*Why thank you.*

You looked at the rock bridge; it was convincing. How did the 'art club' even paint it that well?

*Hm. It might also be a bit of magic that makes it look like that, but I dunno. It makes sense why the bridge was so solid, though. *

 _'I'm slightly less afraid of bridges now.'_

*That's an improvement. *

Your stomach grumbled angrily; this time audible to the Snowman- Flake. He complained about the noise, telling you to "Go eat something human! I need beauty rest!"

*Flake has some rock-solid priorities. *

 _'It's almost like he forgets who is constantly carrying who.'_

*Is he heavy? *

 _'Eh, probably about two pounds, I guess. Not really much of a nuisance until he actually starts being a bit of a prude.'_

*Huh. *

 _'Well, I'd better get some food- Do you think that Grillby's has any human food in his dishes?'_

*Unlikely, but we'll see when we get there. Come on; The surface is waiting. *

 _'Yeah.'_

On your way back to town, Monster Kid jogged around the square, moving two small rocks with his tail and shouting something along the lines of: "You'll never defeat me, humans! I'll stop you!" The rocks laughed evilly as they pretended to be the 'humans. Two large rocks slid into the town and took the smaller ones home while the smaller ones were complaining about "getting to the good part" of the dramatic mock battle.

*Well then. *

 _'So, this is how Monsters view Humans?'_

*Sadly enough. *

Monster kid noticed you as you discreetly tried to walk away, hopping in place like it was a bad nervous habit as he caught your attention.

"Yo! It's you again! Do you wanna play now? The rock kids had to go do homework. They'll be back soon, I think. It's one of those days where you only get puzzles. Did you solve yours yet? I did!"

 _'Yeah, it was pretty easy. If you want, we can play it now.'_

"Yay! Trust me kid, this game is super fun! I'll be the monster and you'll be the human, okay?"

*This is very ironic and I can't help but keep watching. *

 _'Hey, you're just jealous because I'll be better at the game than you.'_

*Whew, chill with that confidence, you might burn yourself. *

 _'Ha, as if.'_

"Okay, I haven't seen you around here before just a while ago, so I'm guessing that you don't know the rules. You have to run over to a base and make one, then I have to hit you with a snowball. If I hit you successfully, then I have to take you to my base! Once you are in my base more than three times, I win, and you are trapped in the mountain! Same thing goes with me. Pretty cool, huh?"

'Yeah!'

Your stomach growled angrily at its neglect. Yeah, you definitely needed something to eat first.

"Whoa. That doesn't sound good. You sure you aren't part Froggit?"

'Positive. I'm just hungry. I'll stop by Grillby's for a bit and we'll play later, okay?'

Monster kid seemed slightly bummed at the delay but was quick to bounce back. "Sure! No problem. I'll just catch up with Snowdrake then. But be back! You're gonna love playing Monsters and Humans, trust me!"

'I'll take your word for it, MK.'

You walked over to Grillby's and said hi to the political bear, who was being extra nice and opened the door. You were pleased to feel a warm rush as you entered the place. Well, a little too warm. You loosened your scarf a bit and looked around. Lots of monsters chattered and seemed to enjoy the place. Most of the patrons seemed to be dogs, but there was the occasional random monster here and there. What got your attention the most was a bunny who seemed to be sprawled over the table with an empty mug gripped in one paw.

*Ew. This is why you shouldn't drink, Frisk. *

 _'Is she… Drunk?'_

*Yep. Whatever she's drinking, it has gotta be something strong. *

She started to mumble unexpectedly.

"N…No matter where I go, it's the same menu, the same people. HELP! I want new drinks an' h-h-h-hot guys!"

*I think we should start backing away. *

 _'Good idea.'_

Her lax features seemed contemplative. "I guess the bartender's kind of h-h-h-hot…"

The bartender? You looked over to see the bartender at the other side of the establishment and...

You couldn't believe it.

You really couldn't.

You felt your heart beat a little bit faster, feeling warm, giddy, and…

 **Hormonal.**

*Oh, come on Frisk. You glanced at Grillby and you haven't budged for like 2 minutes. He's gonna think you're weird. Heck, I never thought that you could be weirder but you keep passing my expectations in one way or another. *

 _'Ghostie I feel frozen. I feel like if I move, I'll die.'_

*Uh, no, no you won't. Just walk over and talk to the locals. Maybe they'll have some useful info on the Underground. And for the love of god, don't flirt.*

 _'What is this feeling Ghostie. It makes me want to sigh like an anime girl and eat Godiva chocolates for hours.'_

*You always want to eat chocolates for hours. That feeling probably impending diabetes or you like Grillby. *

 _'That's impossible.'_

*Oh, it's very possible. And if you're getting all fussed silly over Grillby of all monsters, then get ready for what's coming. *

...could it be a crush?

*Growing pains, feeling so bipolar you want to growl at the sun for merely shining in your direction…*

*Oh, and don't even get me STARTED on the awkwardness. *

Nah.

You looked over to your left and saw the dog couple playing poker with Greater dog and Doggo. Instead of betting with chips, they were betting with milk bones. They thought you were a puppy now, so it would be okay to talk with them, right?

…Probably?

You walked over to Dogamy anyway. "Hey weird puppy. Here's some advice. You better watch where you sit down, kid. Because that big guy over there WILL jump into your lap and give you lots of love and affection."

*Is that a threat or an invitation?*

You waved a hi to Dogaressa and she huffed while shuffling her cards. Upon noticing you, she gave you a doggish smile before whispering to you. "Hello weird puppy. You know, we're sentries, but we never get any respect. I wish those skeletons would throw us a bone. We love bones. But we never get any…" A mix between a whine and a grumble came from her and you left her alone for the time being.

You looked over at a strange monster that looked like a plant with an enormous toothy maw. Maybe they were nice too?

*Everyone here is nice. *

You walked towards the strange monster and waved a hi.

"Hi kid. I'm just wondering about something. Monster food just heals your SOUL, right? So… Hm. Isn't monster food different from human food? It does things like "spoil." And when you eat it, it passes all the way through your body."

'Where is she going with this exactly?'

*No idea. *

"Disgusting."

 _'Hey!'_

"I'd love to try it sometime."

You were confused, amused, and just plain weirded out. But what was there to expect when talking to a Venus-Flytrap monster? You walked over to a patron that seemed to be a horse with neon green hair. And sunglasses. He was automatically cool.

*Why does he automatically get the cool card when it took me days to be cool?*

 _'You were always cool, hush.'_

*This is sacrilege, Frisk. SACRILEGE. *

 _'I'll get you a burger.'_

*… This isn't over. *

The horse monster looked over at you and sighed. "The Capital's getting pretty crowded, so I've heard that they're gonna start moving here. To be honest, I don't want to see the erasure of our local culture…"

 _'I get where you're coming fro-'_

"-But I definitely want to see some city-slickers slip onto their butts! HA!"

*Now this guy obviously has taste in humor. I too would like to see monsters slipping onto their butts. *

 _'That's mean.'_

*You're mean. 'Ms. I won't say you're cool until I think you've earned it.'*

 _'Burgers.'_

*Your bribery has succeeded… but mark my words, I WILL GET COOLER! *

Battle cries could be heard in your head, so you had to concentrate on something else to avoid laughing. You walked over to Greater Dog, who looked at you and made a funny face. It was loony enough to make you laugh for a while, but you stopped once the curse started getting funky.

*Damn curse.*

 _'The curse is a butt.'_

*It's a buttface. It has a butt for a face.*

 _'You're weird.'_

*Kettle.*

 _'Pot.'_

Doggo seemed to be thinking of something, so you walked up to him. He still had half of a doggie treat sticking out of his muzzle, so you probably shook him up pretty bad with that petting prank.

*You traumatized the poor lad, Frisk. What do you have to say for yourself? *

 _'I'm sorry but there was dog and I still have two hands.'_

*Absolutely shameful. *

 _'Guilty as charged.'_

"I heard from Dogamy that you were a puppy. So, I was thinking. Maybe I should get a spiked collar to show off my personality. It makes a statement like… attach a leash to me and take me for a walk please."

*Well, Doggo's a lost cause. You scrambled his brains with your pets. *

 _'Wasn't me~'_

You checked up on Lesser dog, who seemed to be too concentrated on his game to greet you. His brows were knit in frustration and then you realized.

*He is playing poker against himself and losing. *

 _'At this point, I think it's safe to say that all of the dogs have a screw loose.'_

*I don't think that's too far from the truth, really. *

You walked over to the patrons on the bar, where two monsters leaned against each other heavily. They seemed to be drunk as well.

One fish monster slurred lightly. "I-I put out a line for some girls today... Someone told me that there is plenty of fish in the sea, but I'm taking it seriously. I'm going to make out with a fish."

*Gross.*

 _'I think he might be on par with Jerry on this one.'_

"I could ask Undyne, but I think she likes someone already…"

*Undyne, huh? I wonder where we've heard that name before. She's Papyrus' friend, right? *

 _'I guess. I haven't really paid attention to that.'_

The bird monster slurred as well as they sipped on their drink. "Those dogs are part of the Royal Guard, the Elite military group led by Undyne. She's rude, loud, and beats up everybody in her way. It's no wonder kids want to be like her when they grow up!"

*…Is Undyne the same monster we'll have to face after Papyrus? *

 _'Yep.'_

*We're fucked. *

 _'You can only cuss in emergencies. So keep cussing because this is probably one of them. I think I lost my appetite too. '_

*No you gotta eat. *

 _'I don't wanna'_

*You gotta. *

 _'Fine, mom.'_

You walked up to Grillby and hopped a bit to sit down on the tall bar stool, taking a few brief seconds to get adjusted before glancing at Grillby with an (over)confident smile.

'Bartender! I'll have your finest drink, please!'

Grillby spent a few moments staring blankly at you while he polished his glass before grabbing a jug of milk behind the counter and filling it. He passed it over to you with a napkin.

'…Nice try. …That will be 1 g.' he signed. You could barely see a smirk in his fiery features. It was nice to see someone signing back for once, but...

*Milk. Your dignity might be shattered, but your bones sure as hell won't be! *

Ghostie laughed endlessly, gasping for whatever air she had in there, then laughing some more until she finally said something.

*HA! He- He just- HAHAHAHAHA- You got owned! HA! *

 _'I don't even like regular milk that much...'_

*BAHAHA! AND HIS FACE- HA!*

'Excuse me Mr. Grillby, but can you make it into strawberry milk?'

*Ahaha- this is priceless! And you expected a big-boy drink too!*

'...Sure thing, young one.'

*Hehehe- wait. they have strawberry milk here?*

Grillby's ever-shifting expression softened and he put a few tablespoons of a pink powder in your previously insipid drink, also putting a curly straw in it.

*You even get the cool straw.*

'Thank you.'

'…No problem.' he signed as he grabbed another glass to polish.

*...I'm kinda jealous now. *

'Hehe. Who's owned now?'

Mock-sniffling echoed in your head.

*T-Totally not me. I'm not fake crying so that you could give me some or anything...*

'Fine, you can have a sip in a bit.'

'…Anything else?'

You looked up at the menu, but strangely enough, it only sold burgers and fries. Well, burgers were more filling, so you pointed at it.

'…Okay.'

After a few minutes, he handed you your food, then began polishing another glass. The burger was pretty good, but what got your attention the most was how Grillby could hold the towels and stuff without burning them. He was pretty handsome, you supposed. A broad frame, cool features and he was really nice too.

*Frisk, stop being weird. *

 _'I didn't know it was illegal to find someone attractive Ghostie.'_

*He's older than your grandma. *

You almost spit out your burger, making Grillby glance at you worriedly. '…Are you alright, little one?'

'Yep, I'm fine.'

 _'Ghostie just switch I can't deal with this. I'm sticking with twinkies from now on. '_

*Pff, weirdo. *

You switched with Ghostie and ended your mini-saga of crushing right there.

*Hey, this milk is pretty good! I don't even know why you didn't want any more burger. *

 _'I was too distracted with the view.'_

*You flirted with Toriel and yet you're acting like a sap for Grillby. What kind of kid are you? *

 _'A unique one.'_

*The only unique thing about you is how short you are for your age, short stack. *

 _'You're a short stack.'_

*Nuh uh I'm taller than you. *

 _'I doubt it. You looked shorter in the mind room.'_

*If I had my body I'd prove it, but I seem to have misplaced it somehow. *

 _'Hey Ghostie, you said that you were a ghost, right? How did you die?'_

*I reeeally don't want to mention it, Frisk. *

 _'Pleaseeee?'_

*Fine. I tripped over a can of rainbow-paint and fell into a vat of rabid poop emoji plushies. Happy? *

You decided to leave the conversation at that and try making the Rufus plushie move again.

* * *

Training.

There was training every. Single. Day. Your muscles ached, your SOUL burned, your hands shook, and you didn't know how much longer you could stand upright for. Sweat dripped down your chin as he looked down at you disapprovingly, casting a shadow over you while he blocked the scorching sun. Blood dripped down your scarred fingers as cuts and wounds reopened once more. You panted, trying to get cool air into your oxygen-starved lungs. You were hungry, tired-no. more like extremely fatigued. You tried one more spell before giving up halfway through and flopping onto the grass, effectively failing the training again. Why the hell would you need to learn how to summon a weapon? There's a reason why there's an armory in the villa.

Every time a spell backfires, it takes a toll on the body via the SOUL. It hurts, and it's become so common for you to botch spells that it was bound to happen for you. Anytime a spell is cast improperly, like without saying the words or doing it wrong, it will redirect that somewhere. Hands if it's something like healing that needs your hands to work the spell, organs if it's directed internally, or worse, your life if it's meant to kill immediately.

"You still need practice, Chara. The fate of Monsterkind, Humankind, it's in ou-"

"Our hands got it. You say it all the damn time, how am I going to forget it?" You didn't dare look up at him, the sight of his face was one you wanted to forget. Red eyes and a long, slim face with a haphazardly shaven beard, tussled hair coming from under a red cloak and robe with a stupid insignia on it. You found the dirt on your hands more interesting.

"Don't push my hand, Chara. We have a war coming in just six months, and I will not be taking any impudence from you."

You hated him. You looked down at the robes you wore critically. A red heart over a red robe, everything was red. Red clothes, red eyes, red SOUL, red hands. Everything wrong with you was red. Red meant that you were going to have to fight. Red meant that you had to do something you never wanted to do in the first place. Red meant you were 'special', but in reality, it was just a cruel lottery where you had nothing but yourself to depend on. Red eyes meant you were 'strong' and had to be 'strong'.

 **Red meant you had to get hurt every day, and nobody would care.**

"I didn't say that you could rest. Continue with the spells."

"I'd rather die." you spat.

"You can do just that in the war if you don't practice, so heed my words and shut up, Chara."

You got up painstakingly slow, trying to take a moment to breathe before summoning a knife. Not even larger than a dagger, really. It fit well in your hand and you stared at it a bit before it disintegrated into red mist.

"Subpar. Focus on making a weapon that is comfortable for you to wield, and effective in battle. How is a mere knife like that going to plow through the opposing army? Weapon summoning, though hard to manage, is always useful in the battlefield. It will always cater to your need and is much easier for weightless combat. Do a different one and try to make it last longer this time."

"That's impossible. I'm too tired."

"Impossible for other SOUL types, yes. Not for us. Continue."

You wiped your forehead and focused, but you didn't feel any difference. So much for 'Determination.'

SOULS always had a different effect on magic, and purer traits usually had the best magic output. Magic was how humans were able to influence the world, while monsters used their magic to influence themselves.

Green- While LOVE cannot consume your SOUL as powerfully, merciful battles have more strength in fights. This doesn't stop some tyrants from getting their kills in.

Blue- Speaking the spells with integrity and truth, with a strong feeling of knowing what you do is done right will give your magic more strength. Here's the thing. If someone believes that what they do is right, or convinces themselves that it is, it will work. It doesn't have to be good.

Light Blue- Being patient and waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike will give you an advantage in battle, also giving a sense of calm when healing. You can be more levelheaded, but this is also something that can lead to two-faced bastards like his friends.

Purple- You can persevere in the hard parts of the battle. Find some strength to keep going until the end. They say that this can be very handy for some hard-headed fools.

Orange- Being brave will help you get power even when you feel like you cannot face your enemies. This can't be confused with cocky brats though; they get their beatings just the same.

Yellow- Justice. (Mom.) She never says anything about you going to war. She never cares. How can she say that she loves you? It's so convenient to say that in front of others or a crowd, huh? This was supposed to make people understand what is good and bad. Have justice and stand by what is right, not to be confused with Blue.

Red- Gives you the determination to go push the limits and break through, resist through the darkest struggles and break anything that gets in your way so long as you are determined to refuse oppression. Unlike Perseverance, there is no end. You can keep going as long as you are determined to. You don't believe that. Despite the poetry behind the mystery trait, one thing can be known for certain.

It's a true neutral. Whereas other SOUL types are based on moral, determination is based on will. No wonder the Arc mages fear you guys.

"More strength in forming the spell. Draw it out from your SOUL. You know this Chara, I will not repeat this any further."

"Why can't I just rest and do this later?" He glared at you, looking away.

"You need to be accustomed to pushing yourself. This is the only way to get a good harness on your DETERMINATION."

"And remember, you must always stay determined- if it is not maintained at a total constant, your SOUL will waver, and thus, you will waver. But, since you are so persistent in resting, how about an agreement? If you can manage to form a proper storm, we can go, and you can rest for the day."

"Really?" It sounded too good of an offer.

"Have I ever lied to you?"

"Only when it's convenient for you." You snapped.

"Exactly. Now focus and do it right, or you will stay here and keep practicing until nightfall. You haven't been able to cast the spell before, so if you do it properly, this will count as a large improvement for the future."

Okay, focus. You just needed to do this. You gasped for breath and focused, trying to get something, anything to do the spell and finally get out of the horrible 'teaching' course. You drew the energy to your hands and tried to form it, trying to visualize a storm. A big one. Something big enough to wash him away. So big that it can wash away everything. Big enough to get rid of your problems. Enough to get rid of determination. A hurricane. A storm, a tornado, anything!

Sparks flew from your hands, pricking your fingers and misting your arms, clouds curled and formed, ready and waiting for you to say the words. You gave it your all.

"Mael-"

And then something cracked.

* * *

You woke up in your room, under the covers while a healer mage walked out of the room. Another spell backfired.

"I suppose you weren't using your trait while spell casting, were you?"

Him. You didn't look at him, preferring to ignore his words. Since when did he get here?

"Or, maybe your aversion to having said trait caused it to backfire on you. Your SOUL cracked and you were comatose until sundown."

"…"

"If you don't say something, I will find out regardless, you discourteous child."

"No, I didn't use it. I don't want anything to do with a 'trait'. I don't want determination." You crossed your arms and looked down. It wouldn't do anything to make him go away, but the gesture was at least a bit comforting. You felt... raw. Something about you was broken and fixed. Everything felt distorted and you realized why SOULs were so important.

"It's not a matter of 'wanting' a trait or not. It is a part of you, and your rejection of it is only going to lead to self-destruction. Your magic, if you wish to call it that way, is merely energy. It follows what you say, it follows what you feel. If you want to use it to hurt, it will hurt others. If you want to use it to hurt a part of you, well, what's stopping it, if its master said so?"

"If that's the case, I'll just go back in time and fix whatever I did that made me end up with you." You sneered.

"As if. Not even I can reach that level of determination. Remember about this incident, and don't do it next time. You will only be hurting and inconveniencing yourself, and I will not be so lenient the next time around." He turned around, about to leave the room, but you didn't want to be on the losing side of the conversation. You hated feeling powerless, much less vulnerable. If anything, you would try the best to make sure he wouldn't get his way with you so easily.

"What if it's what I wanna do? What if I want to get out of here? What if... what if I want to die? What's stopping you from keeping me here?" You glared back at him defiantly, looking for his response while staring at another set of ruby-red eyes.

His stare remained neutral, unfeeling and calculative. He looked right through you, your bluffing and fronts became nothing under that gaze. You tried not to grimace, and stared back the best you could, even though it was obvious you were fighting an uphill battle.

"I will always, no matter what, find a way to bring you back. I will always be here, regardless of how much you plead for me to disappear. I'm going to stay here, every single day, no matter how much you hope and pray to have me dead."

"And I swear, if I need to, I will drag you back from hell itself and haunt you until you finally give up."

You paled, his presence was terrifying, augmented by the stifling silence that came after his words. After a minute or two, he simply walked to the door, his presence a chilling thought of what would come.

"I-I'll have you know that… That I don't respond well to force." A last-minute attempt to stand your ground.

"And I'll have you know that I don't care."

You wanted to say something; a smart remark, a threat. You wanted him to fear you the way you feared him.

But nothing came to mind.

"Training is tomorrow. Don't be late."

And the door closed with a rusty creak, shutting out the light from the torches in the hallway. You listened intently for any footsteps, hearing them trail off into the distance until another door opened and closed behind him. There were murmurs in the main hall, probably from the other six head mages.

"Pyro."

The torches lit up with a mild flame. The last time you tried this, you burned a few tapestries before the maids doused the fires. They probably weren't used to using water spells for anything other than cleaning the cold-stone floors, but they adapted well to the situation.

You just wanted him to leave you alone. He had tons of other people to do this for him. Everyone smiles and laughs with him. He had others. He had so many people at his beck and call. Why does he just want you to train? Why doesn't he talk about the war as much with his allies?

What is he hiding?

You turned off the torches and walked over to your mother's quarters. The floors were cold, and you could hear the sound of the cold winds outside, whistling and seeping through the cracks of the stone walls.

Crows cackled and laughed throughout the night; moonlight shone through the age-old windows. It comforted you a bit, but you finally reached her room, opening the door with a silent creak to find her on her animal skin-bed, reading Romeo and Juliet.

"Hey mum."

"Hm? Hello Chara, how was training? Did you learn anything new?"

"...You could say that.."

"So, what do you need?" she gazed at you expectantly, probably waiting for you to say something or leave.

"…I just want a hug, to be honest."

Her face changed from neutral to uncomfortable.

"Huh? Sorry, I'm busy right now. Maybe later, Chara." She looked back down at her books. You felt strangely empty. Cold. Hurt. This wasn't anything new, now was it?

You walked out of the room, noting how she barely noticed you leaving until you were out the door.

"Go to the maids if you are hungry and don't forget to close the door on your way out."

"Yes, mum."

You shut the door to be met with the sound of crows cackling in the distance. And it was here that you realized. You were alone.

And nobody cared.

You swallowed back some tears and sighed instead, walking through the halls to reach your bedroom. You would need a good rest for tomorrow.

"Oh? Young Chara! How are you?" called a voice from down the halls. You looked over to see one of the guards waving at you from her post just outside the villa. She was tall with tanned skin (from being out in the sun on working hours) and a short ponytail (cut short for easier combat in battle), with a cool set of light armor (commonly used for casual days, but still effective against archers.). On her face was a large scar that ran down to her collarbone, as if the wound just barely managed to heal over with time. You didn't look at the scar to avoid her feeling self- conscious.

"I'm doing good Alois, just a bit sore is all." She looked at you from top to bottom and tsked, crossing her metal-laden arms with a clink.

"That guy's still overworkin' ya, eh?" She furrowed her brow and gazed at you critically, almost seeing through you completely. A deep blue and yellow SOUL gave her that effect. "I knew it. I oughta..."

She mumbled under her breath, but you knew she wasn't saying anything pacifistic. You looked at her for a moment, seeing her hazel eyes with just a tad of envy before responding. "It's nothing, Alois. There's nothing you can do about it, anyway."

"Of course, there's somethin' I can do! Everybody sleeps, Chara. Everybody. I don't, most of the time, that is- but that's beside the point. I still don't know why he wants you to have training in the first place! You're a kid, you aren't meant to go to the front lines."

"I doubt killing him is going to fix matters, Alois. Plus, who's gonna pay you? You have your sisters to feed, right?"

"…Yeah... But you're like my kid, ya know? I don't want you to get all bloody and beaten by overworking yourself like this. I worry!" She leaned back on the walls, running her hand through her hair and sighing until she looked at you. She tussled your hair a bit with her leather-clad hand, crouching down until she was at your eye level.

Worriedness. Sadness. Inability to help. That's what you saw in her sleep-deprived eyes while the moonlight shone yellow-hazel irises.

"Just… be careful. Okay? War isn't something you should take lightly, Chara."

".I know Alois…".

"I know."

There was still silence in the meadow where the large villa lied. It wasn't oppressive or comfortable, but stagnant. Still. Despite there being so many people coming to and from to see the great red mage, it was always so easy to tell how lonely it was once the chatter died down, leaving the visitors and those who lived there to their thoughts.

The village was large, a common meeting point for trades, or a good place for a calm home that was close to the great mages, where one could go to learn magic, find useful spell tomes and books, or seek guidance and protection under their teachings. Nobody really wished to visit him, mostly because his trait was so unknown; people felt like it would be difficult to learn under him or align with his teachings with the obvious difference in SOUL color. If only they knew how helpful his 'teachings' were. Besides, anyone who was cocky enough to try and learn under him was soon met with a hard no as soon as they admitted their SOULs weren't red too.

Then the system of ruling comes into play. There're always seven arc mages, then seven great mages, and it went down in line. Arc mages were the heads of their respective towns but usually came here for their meetings. He is an arc mage.

About a half an hour passed, the two of you silent and watching the moors. Sometimes she would polish her weapons then call them back, other times a villager or two would come to ask for directions or entry for the night.

"Bless your SOUL, young mage! May you win in the war to come." Said a wanderer that walked through the doors.

The war, huh?

Alois looked thoughtful, grasping a mace before calling it away with a sigh.

"…Y'know, I wish that the war could be called off." Alois sat down on the steps, leaning back on the door arch with a distant expression and looking at the moors beyond.

"Me too, Al."

"I have so much to lose in this, you know. I'm going to be near the front lines again... I barely survived enough to keep my head in one place, and now this?" Her scars were harder to ignore.

"Fights… they chip away at you. Whittling your SOUL like you would do to wood and filling the gaps with poison. It gets scarier when the people you see around you, even your friends and family… they start looking like silhouettes. People you see outside start meaning nothing to you."

You listened quietly. Alois had been working with your 'family' for years at this point, but she was never so open to talk until now; as if this would be one of the last times she would be able to say these things.

"I have killed too many people in my lifetime. I remember I went to a battle- much like a war before, too. It's scary. Kill or be Killed. You live with a constant fear of dying while seeing it all around you, but it's also the closest we mortals will ever witness death. Just as you cause death, you see death, and you narrowly avoid death."

"And my sisters… They're so young- younger than you, you know. One just became nine years old; the others are both eight. What am I going to do when I can't be there for them, or if something happens to them?"

"...I.." You tried to say something to console her, but no words came out. The promise of war meant that there was never going to be a second thought once the battle started. If you said that everything would be alright, you would be lying to yourself as well.

"And don't forget the monsters! I don't know why everyone is so afraid! Tensions have gotten so high that even the king has refused to let humans in their kingdom. I haven't even seen my friends in so long. Undine and Nondyne are going to have their kid soon and I won't be able to be there for them... Not even elementals are there lately, and I miss that fiery hunk that used to come by on the dry season…" She trailed off, mumbling about her escapades with this mystery monster, but you shut yourself off from hearing it.

"I'm... uh... sure, he'll come around after the war, Al.."

"Heh." She scoffed, suddenly a lot quieter than you've ever heard her.

"How are you so sure, eh? You can die. I can die. Everyone can die just because of a stupid, selfish choice…"

"Why are you taking this so lightly?" She looked at you, and you could feel that teary gaze piercing through your SOUL, demanding nothing more but the truth.

"Are you really that confident in your ability to get out of there alive?" She wiped her tears with the back of her thick gloves and started looking away as if anything else would be better to observe but this.

"Do you think that you aren't going to die the second you hit the front lines?"

"Are you determined to survive?" She looked at you in the eyes, a different burn in her gaze stared at you, looking for anything that would be a lie.

"…"

"I'm not."

She said nothing as if expecting you to say more.

"I'm not sure. I don't even think I have determination. I.. I'm scared, Al." Your legs shook in place so you opted for leaning on the door arch as Alois had done.

She was still beckoning you to continue. Though nosey, she was the only person you knew who was even remotely willing to give you some semblance of comfort.

"I'm scared every day. The… the thought of war scares me. The idea that I must hurt others, no matter what I do, scares me. I have no choice, Al."

You tried not to cry, but it was impossible not to. Walls you put up were crumbling to the floor and thinking about everything wasn't helping. You rubbed your eyes, trying to get rid of the tears before Alois could ponder on this moment of weakness.

"A-and I never wanted to do this… Why does everyone think that I'm so lucky? Why does everyone think that I get e-everything easy?"

Her stone-cold stare softened a little as she looked away, hands shifting about as if she didn't know how to comfort you.

"I.. I didn't know that, Chara.." She looked a bit guilty, and fidgeted a bit, wondering what was proper to say for such a situation before sighing tiredly.

"..Now I feel bad, hon. C'mere." She had her arms open for a second, and it was only then that you understood- she wanted to give you a hug. You hugged her after a second or two and she said nothing as she pat your head.

"I don't know what to do Al.."

"Me neither, Chara... But I'll tell you one thing for certain." She hugged you a bit tighter.

"I won't let anyone make you go through the same things I did. I'm going to protect you no matter what, okay? Just hang in there."

"How will you do that?"

"I have my ways, Chara. Now go to sleep; you have a big day tomorrow." She got up, summoned a lance and stood on watch duty once more.

* * *

Flowey stared at the child from his cover in the dense forest, waiting. Watching. Observing. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary from the choices he would have in his runs. There was no difference, nothing new. It was like the underground swapped him with this brat since they had more determination. Tch.

At this point, the only thing holding him together was survival instinct; not that he had much of it. The world was boring. A predetermined set of events that would happen and keep happening. He cackled to himself; the idiot would learn sooner or later. And when they can't go on, when they scream and plead to get out of this repetitive hell, he'll be there to play with his new toy until he gets bored with that as well. All he needs is to get that soul of theirs. He didn't have to go through the underground countless times to know that they had a Determination soul. Just like Chara's…

But what to do after he gets his powers back? It would be the same. Try something, try it again, get bored, keep doing the same, go through everything to see if you missed a word or two, go through again, etcetera.

The killing was already overused. Nothing really seemed appealing. He tried every single way, every single route and option, and everything he could have done until not even that could satisfy what he thought was a desire. LOVE would stifle any 'emotion' he would have anyway, so it became redundant to try a genocide run; especially with the smiley trashbag and his self-awareness. If there's anything that Flowey was absolutely sure he loathed, it was the idea of not progressing. He cursed under his breath at the thought of it.

Mercy was even faster to get old; you spare and you're done. They do whatever they have done and have been doing for years and years of resets. There's nothing else; maybe he would try and screw around with them, but their quaint little complacent lives were so uninteresting that he gave up. However, there was only one thing that was truly unexpected, giving some semblance of variety through the timelines. His favorite little puppet, Papyrus.

It was simple to befriend him; that desperate idiot. One 'hi' and Papyrus gives you all his attention. That's what made the trash bag that much more upset upon thinking of all the things Flowey did. It was fun while it lasted, at least.

So now, even the tiniest little fluctuation in the set events of the 'game' just excite him. It's a strange, perverse feeling to wish to exploit it as far as he can get it. See what more is hiding in the woodwork. Find more to the story, complete it and go again, and again, and again until it's boring to go through it all. He was the true king of the world. He had everything in clutched in his vines. He knew it all; he heard it all; he saw and DID it all, painfully aware of the limitations in the world he dominated.

So how… HOW is this petulant, grubby thing able to do all the things he couldn't?! WHY DO THEY HAVE ALL THE POWER AND NOT HIM?! **WHEN HE GETS AHOLD OF THAT MAGGOT HE'LL CRUSH THEM AND MAKE THEM GO THROUGH IT A THOUSAND TIMES AND OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN-**

His petals flare and his face contorts grotesquely, a mix between a furious shriek and a growl rumbles from his stem and all he wishes to do is to end that pathetic little- but in a moment of realization, he stills for a moment, trying to feel something from the outburst. Rage. Sadness. Jealousy. Not even fury?

No.

Nothing, as per usual.

All he needs to get is SOULS. As soon as that happens, everything will get solved. He'll become a god! He'll have an infinite number of things to do!

Well.. until he gets bored again…

…

What's the point?

What does he want? After all of this time, what has he been aiming for? Power would be the same old thing; even a god couldn't feel if he hasn't experienced it before. All this time… has his endgame been pointless?

Flowey knew that everything he did would have no effect. Nothing would matter if he couldn't truly experience it and feel happy, sad, angry, confused. He wanted it. He craved it. But he kept on; pushed on and kept pushing, because he still had that stupid, idiotic part of him that hoped for something more. But now he knew. He had finished everything, only experiencing something new after countless lifetimes. Nothing changed, and nothing would ever change.

So, even if he does become a god, the chances of him being the same, emotionless abomination were high. However, he had done more things for smaller possibilities.

At this point, the countless timelines and precise acting skills have even convinced himself. He'd be surprised if he felt something and it flew over his head. He wanted to feel something again. He wanted to experience everything with emotions. But first, he would have to plan his way to find out how to get his power back. He glared at the child once more, popping over to another clearing where they went to cross a small bridge. Sturdy, but no railings. Hm, it would be so horrible if something were to happen…

A little, inconspicuous vine trips them as they run across.

He watches the shock on their face, eyes switching from amber to red, face pale and rosy then back to tan as they fall down into the abyss and into the frigid water below. That was not normal, was it?

Flowey observes with mild interest as they gasp and struggle against the current, going limp after crashing into a rock and clinging onto it like a wet rag. That ended quickly. But then again, humans were weaklings. He sighed, popping into the ground as the brothers came to investigate the noise, finding something much more unpleasant in return. At least Papyrus' face of shock could be a new one to add to the list.

Flowey had many, many lists.

He stayed a few more minutes, seeing them being carried over to Alphys' lab, carried gently despite them being lifeless and blue from the cold. The trash bag was worried? Or was that just masked scientific interest in humans? Flowey never knew how to analyze him consistently enough to understand what went through that skull of his. Papyrus looked from the human to the trash bag and then he ran, faster and faster until he reached the river person. Ah, pitiful, stupid Papyrus, trying to find someone who could fix things he didn't even know weren't working anymore.

They are taken to Alphys' lab and she panics, doubting her abilities in being able to fix things but doing what she can. She checks for a heartbeat, looking at old archives with anatomy books and papers thrown down the mountains by humans. She listens to the human's chest. Once, twice, three times. Each time she grew paler until she looked up and gave the news. Flowey stifled a cackle from the corner of the ceiling, shrinking back when the trashbag looked in his direction.

Alphys tells the brothers to go home and calls Asgore, but she doesn't know that this won't happen for much longer.

Flowey sees the reset is done, as their SOUL pops out split second and turns everything white.

…They looked like Chara; he thought to himself as they crossed the bridge with newfound caution. They were shaken, not looking down the cliff or at the river again like their life depended on it. Flowey always liked seeing lasting effects of resets; it brought newfound reality to the 'game', grounding him even a little to the cruel reality he existed in. He guffawed as he watched them from afar, but he was also thinking...

Why did their eyes turn red that time? They weren't Chara; he knew that.

Chara was the only person who had stayed like a thorn in Flowey's thoughts to no end. What would Chara think? What would Chara say? What would Chara do?

Why? Chara was dead. She was a rotting corpse; decay wore away the aged wood, soil spilled out into the body and already grew plants in between the bones. It was mostly ironic because buttercups of all things started to grow. Worms and everything still lingered between the stitches of their turtleneck sweater.

She was gone. So why, why does he still care?

Nothing came to mind. He tried to think of Chara, back when he was Asriel. How did that feel? What did they do? He closed his eyes and tried to think, searching his mind for any memories of who he was before.

Black. Everything that was Asriel drew a literal blank. The thoughts and memories of someone he wasn't, repressed from recalling again in fear of losing the last thing that kept 'Asriel' alive.

The difference between him and Flowey was like night and day. He would never be him. It would be sacrilege to Asriel's name to try and say that he, of all monsters, could ever be related to the young prince.

But he still wanted to know.

* * *

"I… I'm scared, Chara… I don't like this plan anymore.."

'What do you mean?' Chara knew what he meant.

"What if.. What if I l-lose you? You're my very best friend and I don't want you to be gone and I-" He was cut off by a fake laugh.

"W-what?"

'Hehe, you're such an idiot, Azzy.' Giggled a young heiress.

"H-Huh? N-No I'm not!" said a little prince with an outraged bleat.

'Yes, you are. Always remember, we're best friends, and we'll always be. I'll never leave you, and you'll never lose me. We're gonna be together forever, okay?'

He sniffled a bit, drying some tears while looking back up at his sibling.

"R-Really? N-no matter what?"

'No matter what. You will always have me right here.' Chara poked his chest and smiled softly.

'And.. It might sound stupid to say this.. but.. I know that you'll come back for me.'

'I'll start the plan tonight. I'll be fine, okay? Now go to sleep.' She pats his head before heading over to her bed, but a soft-furred hand pulled on her sweater-sleeve.

"W-wait, Chara.."

'Huh?'

"Can I… have a hug?" He looked up at her almost pleadingly, searching for consolation. Her face seemed a bit confused, but then her features softened when she saw his watery gaze.

'…Sure, Azzy. Come here.'

He hugged his sibling tightly, because he knew, deep down, that this would be the last time he would get to do so. She hugged back because she also knew. She wouldn't be back.

'Ha.. ha… I don't want to let go..' She didn't sign it.

A sister saying an early farewell, and a brother who never wanted to let go.

There were so many things he wanted to say, but he swallowed his words and went to sleep.

* * *

*A twin sized bed. If you slept in it, you might not wake up.*

…

What..?

He was crying? For real? It… it wasn't fake?

He touched a stray tear with a vine, checking if it was really there. Something faint lingered in his chest heavily. The foreign weight felt odd against his body, but then the realization hit him like a truck.

He...

He was feeling something.

It was quickly quelled, ebbing away with the seconds that passed, but even then it was something he wasn't going to forget. Because despite being numb and drowned out yet again, he had an opening.

Chara…

Chara was the key to being him again! He slithered through the ground, searching for the human, desperately looking for that feeling again. He would do whatever it took.

'I'll be back, Chara'

* * *

Papyrus was extremely nervous. No, not nervous. Papyrus never gets nervous! He was confident, strong, brave, daring, and the best monster in the underground! He never cooks spaghetti when he feels troubled! That's why the fridge is stocked with Tupperware filled with extra pasta, of course! Nyeh!

He hummed a distinct tune that resonated with him. Some monsters would call it a 'theme', others would call it a "soul song" or whatever they wished. He really enjoyed the tune, really. Papyrus named it "Bonetrousle." A perfect name for a perfect song!

He thought hard while cooking some spaghetti. On the counter beside him were various spices, tomatoes, salt, and sequins. Oh, and not to mention ketchup. For some reason, Sans had taken an odd liking to the sauce. He cut a small hole in the tomatoes and poured the ketchup in, whisking it until it turned into a pulp. (Which needless to say, took a while. He really needed to invest in a cookbook…)

Then, he boiled the noodles with salt at a moderate temperature; his stove did not have a (BURN THE HOUSE DOWN! NGAHAHAHAHAR) option, nor did he wish to have it on his stove. He has a house filled with possessions that match his standards! He sprinkled a few sequins into the sauce.  
[MTT BRAND HP SEQUINS! MAKE YOUR BIRTHDAY EXTRA REWARDING! *Heals 1 HP per flake!*]

Despite how much he wished, it wouldn't fix Sans' Base HP. However, it kept his HP stable, and that's what counted. He just had to be there. He'll stop pretending when Sans gets better. He knew that day would come soon because he believes in Sans.

Once the noodles were done boiling, he took them out and poured the 'slightly watery' sauce on top, sprinkling some extra sequins for the extra sparkle and sitting down on the couch to eat. Hm, he should invite Undyne later for some; it's better than the previous ones, at least.

"SANS! DINNER IS READY IF YOU WANT SOME!"

"m'nahungry"

"I SEE. WHEN YOU WANT SOME FOOD, JUST COME DOWNSTAIRS, OKAY?"

"gotcha."

Papyrus reached for the remote on the arm of the plush green sofa and flipped it to the only channel besides the "CHANNEL NOT AVAILABLE" screen. MTT. While he watched the pixelated box sing around with a princess outfit, Papyrus let his mind wander as he ate the Spaghetti.

He was absolutely befuddled, Bonetrousled and, well… he didn't have any more words that started with 'b' off the top of his head. How was he going to turn the child into the royal guard? Or worse, how was he going to fight her?

It troubled him. Seeing how she stumbled around the puzzles like a baby bird- he was getting attached. He wanted to protect the child, no matter what the cost.

But that put him at two odds.

How was he going to protect his brother if he went to escort the human through the underground safely, and how was he going to betray his only friend, Undyne?

Undyne was the only person besides Sans who saw through the façade and believed in him. She didn't care if he was popular or not. She was there.

Was Papyrus going to throw all of that into the ether?

How was he going to fight? Sooner or later the human would have to go through to waterfall, and Papyrus was the only boss-monster level sentry for Snowdin. It would be hard to solve a puzzle like this, but there was never a puzzle in existence without a solution.

The child worried him, very much, really. Almost as much as how he frets over Sans. It didn't take a genius to notice that she was sad. Anyone would, really. Being separated from loved ones and having to venture through the underground was very difficult. He had tried the best he could to make everything cozy on her stay here- Giving her his favorite blanket, pitching a tent so that the snow wouldn't fall on her, trying to make her smile at least once. Doing even sillier antics and making sure that every puzzle was safe.

When he noticed that she was crying over a simple crossword, he knew he had to up his game. The great Papyrus, master of all interaction!

What struck him as strange, was the human's spontaneity. One moment she would have poofy hair, then straight hair the next. Did all humans do that? He knew that he couldn't smother her too much; she would have to face the underground and he wouldn't be able to follow. Papyrus had to make sure Sans was taking care of himself. What he could do was make her stay as happy as he could make it. She seemed very courageous and driven, but also strangely afraid of… heights..

He got a very vague, morbid (memory) thought of what that fear might have started from, but it faded away like it never happened. Besides, the human was alive and well!

The child was very curious; poking around, looking at the puzzles with interest, and talking with everyone she could. Thankfully, Sans had kept his word and temperament in check after the talk they had.

…He had a bad habit of covering things up, just like Sans. He didn't wish to make their day worse by talking about his problems, much less letting them worry. Worry isn't a good feeling to have, especially when you do it too much. Although he knew that communication was important, he found himself covering more and more of himself, replacing it with a very one-dimensional persona. He enjoyed watching them smile and laugh, but soon he felt uncomfortable at the thought of talking about himself. Perhaps he was more like Sans than he thought. But unlike sans, papyrus feared rejection.

 **"Nobody likes a smartass, Papyrus."**

 **"Stop being a nerd, Papyrus."**

 **"You're too quiet, Papyrus."**

 **"You're weird, Papyrus.**

 **"Your puzzles are too hard."**

 **"Crossword is for snobs, Papyrus."**

 **"Nobody cares about you, Papyrus."**

 **"Who even thinks that Crossword is easy? Nerd."**

 **"I doubt he's an adult."**

 **"He's so naïve."**

 **"Papyrus is so desperate that it's almost overbearing."**

 **"Hey Papyrus. If you can do a few stunts, you'll join our group. …What do you mean? Don't you want to be part of us? Cmon! Nobody has seen a skeleton. Just do it already."**

He has a tiny hairline crack on his femur to this day.

So, the best way to avoid that was to change. Hide everything. And even that wasn't good enough. It was when sans had told him on a vague night that "It's better that they don't know anythin', bro. You'll see."

He remembered when he would try and understand why people were so complicated, but then finally got it.

People didn't like to feel threatened. They didn't like to feel less than others, so they would put up fronts. They would hurt others to try and fix the hurt inside. He wasn't going to be a threat then. He would help them all get on the straight and narrow, even if he had to stop being himself along the way.

But was that worth it?

He finished his spaghetti and turned off the television, heading over to wash the dishes and packing some food for Sans. He noticed the human snooping around his mailbox, but didn't really pay any mind to it. What was there to hide? Some bills or letters? Her reactions were amusing to watch.

Soon he would have to face them. What was he going to do? Well, he certainly wasn't going to hurt them, but he had to make her understand that the other monsters she'd face would not be as forgiving. First things first, he'd have to do some quick renovations to the garage.

* * *

 **(A/N!:Before any of you ask, no, this isn't a going away note. I just wanted to say this :3**

 **I was a bit hesitant to write this chapter, mostly because of different insecurities about the story. I don't want DC to become a whole ocean of OC's, or to make everything so out of character that it doesn't seem like a part of Undertale. But, then again, the whole premise of the story is pretty far from the mark, so I can't really expect anything different. (BUT! Please remember that any OC's would be for worldbuilding or plot development!)**

 **I'll be honest, the entire story was first made because I used to love that anime trope where the protagonist is just puking blood and stuff. It sounds cringy, yes, but it was a cringier time when I made this story. Then, I started to add more to the base idea. I wanted to post it somewhere, and show the world how cringy I could be! no, just kidding. This is still my first fanfiction. I still like this trope when used moderately, but I never wanted it to be just that.**

 **So I started planning something along the lines of this: (Hm, maybe Frisk should have a nice family for once. You barely see a lot of that, really. Maybe a mom? nah. Grandma? sounds better. So maybe a curse? but why on Frisk? plus there's no magic how would that work? Maybe the old mages did it because of some reason? Then Chara and her Grandma would also have the curse. And if Frisk has a nice home-life, then why would she go to the mountain in the first place? AHA! Bullies! But they can't be so one-dimensional, that would suck- *Insert spoilers here.*)**

 **And I got really proud of my story, really! I still look over it and edit some parts that don't make sense, (please tell me if there is something by the way; it'd help a ton.) but it really helps if I know how you guys feel about the story so far! Do you think it's going well? does it seem inconsistent or well-paced? Do you like it or hate it or feel neutral about it? Let me know! It always really helps, and like I said before, I stalk the comments section.**

 **Lastly, I'm really happy that you guys have enjoyed reading this story, and I thank each and every one of you that have stopped to check it out! Virtual cookies for everyone. :D**

 **PS: I'm also checking for any errors or mishaps in the story, so if you know of any, please tell me!)**


	17. Interlude!

You don't know what you want at this point. You stared up to find a sparkly crystalline ceiling instead of the blue sky you were used to seeing. You took a deep breath to find that the air wasn't fresh, but still and stagnant. You noticed how it smelled musty underneath the strong scent of pine needles.

*It gets pretty sad here, you know. Once the initial rush of excitement passes, you feel… empty. Alone. Wanting something more than just a ceiling above and a closed off hole.*

 _'I'm not sad, I'm just… thinking.'_

*I can hear your thoughts. You aren't just thinking, Frisk. You're conflicted. Scared. Unsure.*

 _'Aren't you the philosopher.'_

You both stood silent as you walked over to sit under a large pine. The cold seeped in through the opening of your scarf; you didn't fasten it much after you left Grillby's. But.. it was inviting now. You felt a little… empty. Once you beat Papyrus, what next? It's endless.

 _ **What are you even pushing for?**_

You need to fight Papyrus, and you doubt that you'd be able to spare him. He's so kind; the thought of hurting him made your end goal of leaving the underground so much more bitter. You could try sparing him like you did Toriel, but you had a feeling things wouldn't come so easily.

You looked at the tough gloves on your hands. You don't want to use them to attack people. You don't want people to hurt the way they did to you.

 **But you need to do so anyway.**

You don't feel so determined. Instead, you're hungry, tired, scared, conflicted, and you need to find a way out.

You missed the good old days that involved not worrying about anything more than Nala ruining your stuff. At least then you knew what would happen the next day. But let's face it. You're not above-ground anymore. You lost everything and you're trying to get it back with no hopes of succeeding.

Oh. A small, pale snowflake made its landing on your nose; it melted on contact and took your attention away from the melodramatic swill of thoughts you were just wading in. More snowflakes landed, coming and going mesmerizingly.

You looked down and felt snow plop on your hands. It was piling on your head at this point. The little snowman in your pocket seemed content with the snowfall, so you let him out to catch some snowflakes.

 _'Hey Ghostie… do you ever feel like everything is just pointless? Like anything is just going to end and mean nothing no matter what you do?'_

*…Every single day.*

' _Ah.'_

You felt the snow between your fingers until they grew numb. Maybe this once you can let yourself feel numb too.

*But, I found a way against that feeling.*

 _'What did you do?'_

*The thing that helped most was that I had friends and family, and I decided that even if it's going to end someday, I'll enjoy every moment. So I grew to enjoy everything. The little moments, the eventful ones, the sad ones. Then when it ends you don't feel as empty, but grateful. You have your family too Frisk. If you live expecting nothing, it's worse than death.*

 _'I.. never thought about it that way... Thanks Ghostie.'_

*Anytime, Frisk.*

[The thought of enjoying the little things in life come what may… it fills you with determination.]

You got up and brushed the snow off yourself. You've decided. You're going to fight Papyrus in your own way. You won't hurt him, but you can't stay here. As long as you have even the tiniest window of opportunity, you'll take it. And you'll enjoy every moment of it.

You could see monster kid playing with two snowdrakes in the distance. Maybe this time you can try playing Monsters and Humans before you leave Snowdin.

*Don't forget to stock up on food, Frisk. You'll need it.*

 _'Good idea. Now, how much do you bet on me winning?'_

*I'll give it a good 2g. You don't seem very athletic compared to MK, Frisket.*

 _'Hey! Okay, that's kinda fair, but I'll pretend to be offended to keep up the charade.'_

*-the what now?*

 _'Charade. It means like a joke or running gag. I learned that word a few months ago.'_

*Oh. I knew that. Now, bisicles or Nicecream after this?*

 _'Bisicles. Because they're closer to town. Now let's play the game.'_

*Gotcha.*

 _'Thank you for being my friend, Ghostie.'_

*Thanks for being mine, Frisk.*

* * *

 **I'm currently going to be out of commission for a little while as I have tons of things to do in my personal life. I'll try to resume my other fics including this one as soon as I can, so please be patient! In the meantime, try reading my other work? (Shameless self promotion huehuehue)**

 **If you like little author's notes or want me to reply more on comments, I suggest you look for this same story on Ao3! (The name is PreDetermined Curse, but it's the same thing, trust me.) I post on both FFN and Ao3, so you don't have to worry about me choosing one over the other. Still, it's a bit more refined on formatting and such. (I reply to any comments I find here as well, if they're registered users, since I can just reply to the comment over a PM.)**

 **Thank you!**


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